SPIR names two as fund trustees

Press, 1 April 1985, Page 20

SPIR names two as fund trustees

PA Wellington The sports freedom organisation, SPIR-New Zealand, has named two former New Zealand rugby representatives as trustees of a fund to compensate All Blacks who lose pay for touring South Africa this

year. A former captain, Andy Leslie, who led the All Blacks on their last tour to South Africa in 1976, and Jack Griffiths, who represented New Zealand between 1934 and 1938, will administer the fund which is

intended to compensate public servants whose pay will be suspended for the duration of the tour. Mr Leslie said he had no affiliation with SPIR but

had been chosen to administer the fund because he could impartially assess the expenses of players affected by the tour. “SPIR has asked me if I would be one of the trustees for the fund,” Mr Leslie said. “If the New Zealand Rugby Union should decide to tour South Africa, it has been indicated that members of the team who work for the Government may not get paid. “To these ends SPIR has set up a fund to have players’ commitments and payments met. It was at this point that I was asked to come in because, not being a member of SPIR or not being involved with the New Zealand Rugby Union,

I could be a wee bit impartial and look at the players' expenses, their cases, and then at meeting their payments.” Mr Leslie said that the scheme would apply to any All Black who would be financially inconvenienced ir the tour. He acknow-

•>y ledged that critics of the fund could claim that rugby’s strict amateur code was breached by the scheme. The Rugby Union chairman, Mr Ces Blazey, said the fund was a good gesture Bl*'’

but added that All Hacks had always been prepared to go on tours and local people had always been willing to give them backing.