Former sport ‘great’ predicts ‘big trouble’ in S. Africa

Press, 11 February 1986, Page 40

Former sport ‘great’ predicts ‘big trouble’ in S. Africa

PA Wellington There is little chance of seeing another All Black-Springbok rugby clash, a New Zealand sporting great, John Reid, believes.

The former New Zealand cricket captain, just arrived back “for good” after four years in South Africa, is very pessimistic about the future there. "And I think many white South Africans know in their hearts that there is big trouble straight ahead — you only have to see how terrorism is encroaching into the the white areas to realise this.”

The end of international rugby between the two countries “will be a tremendous blow to Afrikaaners,” Reid said. “It will hurt them more than any boycott, in fact more than any other type of international ostracism,” said the 57-year-old Reid. He said New Zealand would be unlikely to allow another Springbok tour as the 1981 visit had caused too much disruption: “But from South Africa’s end,

there probably won’t be any Springboks left to play against. “It seems very' likely

that a professional rugby circus is going to get under way over there — possibly this year. And another startling development in South Africa has been the defection of two top Springbok players —- Rob Louw and Ray Mordt — to the English rugby league club, Wigan.” Reid said that a third big South African rugby name was known to be negotiating “and many

more are going to go the league way — no doubt about it; and you can’t blame them ... they’re being offered contracts in the region of S.A. Rand 350,000.” Reid said there was “just no incentive” for young South Africans to play rugby any more, “unlike cricket in South Africa where there is really big money.” For the last four years Reid has been “manager, selector, coach .. you

name it” of one of the country’s top cricket teams, Northern Transvaal.

“I took them from bottom of the log to two Currie Cup finals,” he said. The position took up a good deal of his “work” time. He held a promotions post with Nissan “but fortunately they were closely involved in cricket and very accommodating about my coaching duties.” Reid said he had always intended to return to New

Zealand. “I gave myself a maximum of five years in South Africa and I’m back in four.” He flew back to New Zealand last year for a cricket dinner and during this stay met up with a former Wellington opening batsman from the 19505, lan Taylor, now general manager of Cable-Price Corporation. From that meeting came the offer of the job he took up last week.

Reid said he was unlikely to become involved with cricket administration in New Zealand.