I.R.B. under pressure

Press, 21 April 1986, Page 40

I.R.B. under pressure

NZPA staff correspondent London The controversy over New Zealand rebels touring South Africa is overshadowing the International Rugby Board’s meetings which end in London on Wednesday.

But the board is under pressure on other matters too — including demands from junior rugby-playing nations.

The board has only eight members, England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, France, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.

More than 50 nations were represented at the centenary congress meeting in Oxfordshire and countries such as Rumania, Argentina, Fiji and the United States are

pushing for a say in the future of the game.

The N.Z.R.F.U. chairman, Ces Blazey, notes that the board decided last year to consider offering associate membership and adds that it is now just a matter of deciding the “mechanics”. According to reports in London yesterday the board will move only slowly on the issue.

Countries outside the 1.R.8. would be sent application forms so that their worthiness for associated membership might be judged.

The “Guardian” newspaper said: "Progress has never been swift in the 1.R.8.’s affairs.” Whether the board decides to act quickly on the

rebel tour issue will have emerged by Wednesday, when Mr Blazey, as chairman this year of the 1.R.8., will give a press conference at the end of the annual meeting.

The N.Z.R.F.U. has announced the text of the telex message which it sent to the South African Rugby Board saying it was “completely unacceptable” that more than the seven All Blacks officially invited through the union were touring the republic. Mr Blazey was awaiting a reply from the 5.A.R.8., which he had also asked to relay a message to the tour party saying players not cleared should not take the field in South Africa.