Rugby union decision leads to boycott fears

Press, 17 May 1989, Page 64

Rugby union decision leads to boycott fears

Ph London England’s Commonwealth Games Council has expressed dismay at the Rugby Football Union’s decision to pass South African centenary invitations to players, and fear that it may lead to a boycott of the Commonwealth Games in Auckland. After English rugby

chiefs opted for the same course of action as the Scottish and Welsh unions, the Games Council secretary, Brian Allinson, said the Commonwealth Games had only just recovered from the disastrous 32-nation boycott at Edinburgh. “Now we are faced again with the possibility of a boycott,” he said in

a statement. “It is a great pity that one of the most friendly, multinational sporting occasions may be threatened. “I appreciate that individuals have freedom of choice, but sport has a commitment against apartheid.” Mr Allinson said his council would do every- - thing it could to over-

come potential problems, but warned: “People whose interests are promoted by exposing conflict in sport will not lose sight of this opportunity.” The council chairman, Sir Arthur Gold, described the decision as “fairly worrying” but stressed that the Games body had no jurisdiction over the R.F.U.

Earlier Sam Rainsamy, the chairman of the South African Non-Racial Olympic Committee (Sanroc) said his anti-apart-heid group would canvass African opinion on the British rugby moves at a meeting with the Supreme Council for Sport in Africa in July. He warned, however, that British sport in gen-

eral would become the “unpleasant focus” of protest action if players did join the August tour to mark the South African Rugby Board’s centenary. British bids to stage international events could be seriously jeopardised if players opted to go, Mr Ramsamy said. The British Govern-

ment is reported to be studying the announcement by the R.F.U., in which the secretary, Dudley Wood, said the union was “matching” government policy on sporting contact with South Africa. Mr Wood made it clear it was not up to the R.F.U. to “actively” discourage players from

visiting the republic, which would be a political step. But he signalled rugby’s willingness to accept guidance from the Government on the matter. “If the Government were to say to us that the players must not go, then that is the end of it,” he said in a radio report.