Rugby Union to complain to S.A. over tour

Press, 18 April 1986, Page 4

Rugby Union to complain to S.A. over tour

By

ROBIN CHARTERIS

in London

Now that visual evidence exists of the arrival in South Africa of New Zealand rugby players, the New Zealand Rugby Union will lodge a formal complaint with the South African Rugby Board. The chairman. Mr Ces Blazey. said late last evening that he would take immediate steps to inform the South African board in writing that the tour of South Africa was “completely unacceptable." When told that New Zealand newspapers would be publishing photographs of the arrival in Johannesburg of 21 of the 29 New Zealand players, and the team coach, the All Black selector. Mr Colin Meads, Mr Blazey said he could now

take definite action. “I am most grateful for your information that visual evidence of their arrival on South African soil now exists. “This is very important to me. I will now do exactly what I said I would do and raise formally with the South African’ board the fact that the situation is unacceptable to the New Zealand Rugby Union,” he said. Mr Rlarey was from the rural retreat in Oxfordshire where the International Rugby Board centennial congress has now resumed session after watching the centennial match in Wales. He raid he would do more than raise the matter with the president of the South African Board. Dr Dame Craven.

“I don’t want to get into any other details but I think it important that as the matter is to be raised formally it goes to the South African board as such.

“Dr Craven, of course, will be informed, but I think you will appreciate the distinction I am making,” Mr Blazey said.

Asked whether an emergency meeting of the 13 members (of 18) of the New Zealand Rugby Union council at present in Britain would be held, Mr Blazey, who is also chairman ’ of the International Rugby Board, said that that would not be necessary. A '“gathering” of the members had been held after the Cardiff match, which was "very definitely the first opportunity' we had,” and the appro-

priate action bad been agreed upon. It bad not been a formal meeting c-f the cuncil in that seven days notice could not be given, Mr Blazey said, but it had been the best move possible.

“We agreed on the appropriate action and I will now take that,” he said. “I think you win understand it would be wrong of me to go into any particular derail until it has been received by the South African board. I don’t like telling people things through the news media,” Mr Blazey said.

It could take some hours to get in touch with the beard officially, he said.

Did he think the action proposed could lead to the cancellation of the tour? “I do not know. I do not

really want to go into detail but I do not believe I could be more forthright in my views on the way the thing has been handled aud that is the situation." he said. Did he hope the tour would be cancelled? “I think we have got to draw the South African Rugby Board’s attention in a formal way to the fact that the action taken is completely different from and the outside the well established principles and practice that have existed between member unions of the International Rugby Board regarding inviting players. “I repeat the words I used and will continue to use—the situation is unacceptable to the New Zealand Rugby Football Union,” Mr Blazey said.