Hawke: Games under threat

Press, 21 August 1989, Page 2

Hawke: Games under threat

NZPA-AAP Sydney The 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland and Melbourne’s bid for the 1996 Olympic Games were being threatened by participation of Australian players in a rugby tour of South Africa, the Australian Prime Minister, Mr Hawke, said yesterday.

“I don’t want to see Australia suffer, and I don’t want to see New Zealand suffer but there is a very considerable risk involved in what’s been done,” Mr Hawke said. Speaking on Channel Nine’s "Wide World of Sports,” he said he would use his influence to try to persuade African countries not to impose a boycott on New Zealand or Australia. Commonwealth countries are banned from official sporting contact with South Africa under the Gleneagles Agreement, but can do nothing to stop individual players visiting the country. In May, the Organisation of African Unity (0.A.U.) threatened to boycott the Commonwealth Games after the announcement that an international team would be invited to take part in South African rugby centenary matches. A tour of South Africa by a 16-man team of English cricketers, in spite of official condemnation, has also threatened to disrupt the Games.