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Show South Africa Threatens Rugby Athletes With much fanfare, the South African government announced a new policy of "integrated sports" in late September. But the ruling wacn't nnite the "liberalization" of aprtheid it was cracked up to be. The white minority regime now threatens to prosecute 8 white rugby players who parici-pated parici-pated with 22 blacks in a club match in a black township near Port Elizabeth on Oct. 11. Minister of Sports Piet G. Koornhof made it clear that the government would not permit white and black players on the same team at the club level, which is where most sports are played. The policy announced last month allows white teams to play black teams at all levels, but allows blacks and whites on the same teams only in international competition. The exception for international competition is presumably a tactic to take the heat off the white minority regime which has been barred from many international sporting events because be-cause of its racist policies. The 8 rugby players, who are among the country's best athletes defied demands from the police, the government and the white Rugby Board not to appear. The result, reported the New York Times, was "near hysterical excitment among black supporters support-ers at the game." The players were carried from the field in triumph by a cheering crowd of 10,000 blacks afterwards. "We felt really good inside, you know," said Alistair Weakley, one of the white players. "Hundreds came up and thanked us. It made it all worthwhile." "It was a clearcut case of confrontation with the Government," Govern-ment," said Sports Minister Koornhof, who added that the players had broken the law and would have to face the consequences. conse-quences. In addition to defying the sports regulation, the white players broke the law requiring whites visiting black townships to have permits, and also the law restricting almost all stadiums to players of one race only. |