NZ rugby 'owes Maori apology'

Former All Black Bill Bush says the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) must apologise to Maori for excluding players from tours to South Africa on the basis of race.

His call came after South Africa's Sport Minister, the Rev Makhenkesi Arnold Stofile, officially apologised to Maori players who were denied the chance to tour South Africa in 1928, 1949 and 1960.

The NZRU bowed to pressure from the New Zealand and South African governments of the day by fielding teams without Maori. Bush said it was time that the NZRU followed the South African Government's example.

"An apology would just heal the gaping wound," said Bush, who also played for New Zealand Maori.

"It's nothing to say 'I'm sorry' is it? 'I'm sorry for what happened in the past', that's all they have to say."

The NZRU had spoken to the New Zealand Maori Rugby Board about the issue and been told it would be wrong to be critical of apartheid-era decisions.

Maori board chairman Wayne Peters said it was time to focus on the future, not the past. However, Bush said Peters' hands were tied by the NZRU.

"I understand the position the Maori board are in. They're governed by the New Zealand Rugby Union, so I think it should come from the New Zealand Rugby Union board, not the Maori board," Bush said.

"He [Peters] has made a couple of comments to say that he's more interested in the celebration of 100 years of Maori rugby [this year], but he's actually there for us.

"His mandate is to get the best for us Maori people and players, and that includes an apology. But I don't think the New Zealand Rugby Union want to bring it up, or the New Zealand Government. They just hope it goes away."

The 1970 All Blacks team was the first "integrated" side to tour the republic.

Stofile said in a letter to the Sunday News that black South Africans hated Maori halfback Sid Going and Samoan wing Bryan Williams for being part of that team, referring to them as "honorary whites".

Bush, who was in the All Blacks team that played in South Africa six years later, said that antipathy remained.

"I feel it even when I go there now," he said.

"I go there twice a year and I take them [tour groups] to Soweto and one of the tour guides that we used, she knew I was there in 1976 and I don't think she was too happy about me, even though I didn't go there as an honorary white.

"But as far as I was concerned, I did something to break the barriers of apartheid down, by going there and trying to beat them.

"We did the haka when the South Africans didn't want us to, and that's my contribution."

GWJ8PXUEZCUN