‘S.A. rugby helped by tour '
NZPA Cape Town The number of whites playing rugby in South Africa is dwindling, but the number of Coloured and black players is increasing, according to the president of the South African Rugby Board, Dr Danie Craven. The interest in rugby was growing because of the 1981 Springbok tour of New Zealand, Dr Craven told an international media congress, yesterday. The lavish 10-day congress is designed to convince invited rugby reporters from other countries that South Africa has made enough progress towards racial integration to be re-admitted to world sport. After two days of discussion, the journalists will be whisked around South Africa to see sports and
other facilities available to the various races. South Africa has been virtually barred from world competition for more than a decade because of apartheid.
Statistics presented for journalists showed that the number of whites playing rugby dropped from 28,785 in 1978 to 27,825 last year, while the black players increased from 1600 to 17,473, and the Coloured players rose from 5220 to 10,080. Dr Craven believed that the lack of a national rugby hero was a reason for the decreased interest by whites. “Without international matches, you produce fewer heroes and without international heroes, the game suffers.' , “We have no heroes or very few heroes left, but since we went to New Zea-
land and produced more heroes the interest in rugby is definitely growing.
“The blacks had Errol Tobias, the first time ever there was a hero amongst them, and that probably accounts for the big interest there.” Coloureds and blacks would dominate future Springbok backlines because “they have a natural flair for running and passing,” Dr Craven said.
He said apartheid laws applicable to rugby had been abolished, “but we won’t stop there.” “The spirit of rugby must spill over into South African society. “We have to progress step by step, we can’t change things overnight.” Curnick Mdyesha, the president of the South African Rugby Association, the black rugby group, said
whether critics admitted it or not, rugby had changed in South Africa. “Blacks have arrived and the position will not be reversed.
“Instead, once the present differences of approach and opinion among blacks are settled, the composition of South African rugby teams will be more accurately indicative of the component of the rugby playing population of this country.” The president of the antiGov,ernment South African Council on Sport, Mr Frank van der Host, has claimed the congress is racist propaganda and has accused the Rugby Board of dishonesty in listing him as a guest speaker. The council says attempts to integrate sport are a sham as long as apartheid remains in other areas.
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Press, 24 August 1983, Page 3
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448‘S.A. rugby helped by tour' Press, 24 August 1983, Page 3
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