Backlash will not worry wife

Press, 15 April 1986, Page 3

Backlash will not worry wife

PA Auckland The wife of one of the “rebel” All Blacks says the players are not worried by any ban backlash for their unofficial tour.

Lamona Robins told the “Auckland Star” the players regarded matches against the Springboks as "the ultimate” and would sacrifice their careers for it. She said that her husband, Bryce, had been approached more than a month ago about making the tour of the republic. “It was a hard decision for Bryce. He was putting his rugby on the line,” she said.

“He does not know what is going to happen now. He will just take one day at a time and face what happens when he gets back.”

Mrs Robins said the players were not being paid to play in South Africa — other than their airfare, accommodation and allowances.

“It is actually costing us more for Bryce to go. We have to get someone in to look after the farm," she said.

Mrs Robins said she was invited, with the other players’ wives and girlfriends, to make the trip, but she had to put her children first.

She was not worried by any anti-tour backlash. “It (the rugby tour) has got nothing to do with politics. It is all for rugby. You see all these things on television, but I wonder just how bad it is.

“If I were going I would like to see what is going on (in South Africa) for my own eyes. Being a Maori, I would like to know whether they would treat me like a Maori.”

Mrs Robins said they had told friends and family before the tour and they had been very supportive and in favour of it.

Mr Winston McDonald, the Auckland company director believed to have organised the tour, was unavailable yesterday.

Mr McDonald’s company office said he would be out of town until Friday and did not know where he could be reached.

An Auckland Rugby Union executive, Mr Lew

Pryme, said he would be staggered if the players were touring South Africa for nothing.

“I cannot see them going for nothing but how can you prove it? They are going to deny it and the South African organisers will deny it.” Mr Pryme said it was no secret players were offered $lOO,OOO last year to tour, “and you can add on 10 per cent inflation at least for this year.”

He said invitations from South Africa for some of the Auckland players came through his desk marked confidential and “I had to respect that.” He did not try to talk them out of it because there was enough pressure on them already. “I am not trying to justify them but they must have thought long and hard about it.” Two Aucklanders, John Kirwan and David Kirk, were not going.

Kirk said he was convinced that playing sport in South Africa was not the right thing to do and Kirwan said that after five months playing overseas he “just wants to come home.”