Hedgehogs’ rugby tour called off

Press, 5 December 1986, Page 40

Hedgehogs’ rugby tour called off

NZPA staff correspondent London A South African touring rugby team, the Hedgehogs, called off a tour of Britain yesterday leaving behind a trail of recriminations in English clubs and between the two countries. The Hedgehogs were due to play a London club, Richmond, Southend and Esher this week but they told them yesterday they would withdraw to take the heat off their opponents. A spokesman for Richmond said: “The Hedgehogs contacted us and said they consider the pressure now is too great to ask clubs to fulfil fixtures against them.” The British Government welcomed the news, after urging the English rugby authorities earlier in the week to stop the tour because of the Commonwealth Gleneagles Agreement to oppose sporting contacts with South Africa. But South Africa’s am-

bassador to London, Dr Dennis Worrall, said he believed the controversy reflected the irrationality of attitudes on the South African issue.

“This was after all a scratch team and the fact that the British Minister of Sport felt compelled to intervene in the way he did is really a sad commentary. “It (the minister’s action) will be viewed with disdain in South Africa and by most people in this country — certainly by sportsmen.” Rosslyn Park, which pulled out of hosting a match against the Hedgehogs, has rebuked its coach, David Barclay, who reportedly played a leading role in organising the trip. The top London club’s secretary, David Whitham, said: “David Barclay has been told that what he says on this issue is as an individual and not as coach of Rosslyn Park. He has views on liaison with South Africa which are not the club’s.

Mr Barclay had said the Hedgehogs did not represent South African rugby in any way. The team had gone to Britain mainly to see

friends and go sightseeing, he said. “I don’t know what all the fuss is about.” The "fuss” meanwhile, caused Riichmond’s

coach, Derek Wyatt, to threaten to resign if his club played the team from South Africa.

The Hedgehogs had beaten a Beckenham team, 17-10, in their one completed match of a five-game programme. Then the row blew up in the media and they averted more trouble by pulling out of the remaining fixtures. A British anti-apartheid campaign organiser, Karen Talbot, said yesterday: “This is obviously a victory in the campaign to isolate apartheid sport, and a warning to any further South African sportspeople that they cannot set foot in this country.”