‘Invitation’ to S.A. congress angers S.P.I.R.

Press, 5 July 1983, Page 8

‘Invitation’ to S.A. congress angers S.P.I.R.

The South African Rugby Board has been asked to rescind any invitation to the Prime Minister, Mr Muldoon, to send a representative to the board’s news media congress in August. The request has come from the organisation for sporting freedom, S.P.I.R. New Zealand. Condemning the reported move yesterday, Mrs Elizabeth Sutherland, the society’s national organiser, said if any such invitation had been issued, it would be an appalling misjudgment by the Rugby Board or its advisers. “Those responsible are obviously completely ignorant of the New Zealand situation, and that our Government rightly believes that it should not be involved in the sporting scene, leaving all sporting decisions in the hands of the sports bodies concerned.” Mrs Sutherland said the society had informed the

Rugby Board of its extreme disquiet over the way the invitations to the congress were being handled in New Zealand. “We have informed them that inaccurate and unhelpful statements are being issued from the United Kingdom, and that such statements should cease,” said Mrs Sutherland. “We understand confusion is rife in New Zealand journalistic circles, and have made it clear to the board that any New Zealand attendance at the congress is now in serious jeopardy. “No invitations have been issued by the board, and on that basis quite clearly none have been accepted,” she said. The statement said it hoped journalists would overlook any errors of judgment in public relations made overseas and consider any invitations, when issued, on their merit.