Apology issued for Maori exclusion during apartheid

The New Zealand and South African rugby unions have issued apologies to New Zealand's Maori players who were excluded from All Blacks selection during the apartheid era.

After weeks of public debate and calls for an apology, acting New Zealand Rugby Union chairman Mike Eagle and chief executive Steve Tew issued a statement expressing the union's regret.

"Today, on behalf of the New Zealand Rugby Union, we wish to say sorry first and foremost to those Maori players who were not considered for selection for teams to tour South Africa or to play South Africa," the statement read.

"We apologise to the families of those players and to the wider Maori community who were affected directly or indirectly by the decisions taken to not include Maori players for those teams and tours.

"It was a period in which the respect of New Zealand Maori rugby was not upheld and that is deeply regretted.

"We also wish to take the opportunity to apologise to New Zealand as a whole for the division that rugby's contact with South Africa caused across the country over many years."

The statement comes almost a week after South Africa's sport and recreation minister, Reverend Makhenkesi Arnold Stofile, sent a public letter of apology to the Maori players who were excluded from tours to South Africa in 1928, 1949 and 1960.

The NZRU revealed an apology had not been forthcoming earlier after taking advice from the New Zealand Maori Rugby Board (NZMRB).

The statement continued: "The NZMRB's advice was that an apology might have the effect of unfairly condemning past Maori administrators and that it was more appropriate to focus on the present and the celebration of the New Zealand Maori centenary year.

"However, we acknowledge the steps taken by the South African Rugby Union and by the South African Minister for Sport and Recreation in response to these issues.

"We recognise the very difficult situation that our predecessors were faced with, including those members of the NZMRB, the NZRU Council and administration and, indeed selectors, coaches and players, during that time.

"We also acknowledge that throughout the apartheid era some of the decisions were taken with good intentions, which included protecting Maori players from insult and vilification.

"We acknowledge the complexities of the issues that they faced and today's apology is not intended to be a criticism of those involved at that time."

However, with New Zealand Maori celebrating their centenary year this year the NZRU felt it was the right time to honour Maori players.

"The centenary activity has also prompted rugby to revisit and wrestle with the hurt caused by our sporting contact with South Africa during the years that black and other South Africans were subject to the oppression of apartheid," added the statement.

"The issues generated by apartheid and the sporting connections which existed at that time affected our two countries deeply and had an enormous impact over several decades, to the extent that those effects are still being felt today."

South African Rugby Union president Oregan Hoskins also issued an apology to Maori players.

"A number of Maori rugby players became innocent victims of the racist ideology of our former government, a policy that oppressed the daily lives of all black South Africans," he wrote.

"Those policies also denied thousands of talented black sportsmen and women the opportunity to compete for selection for South Africa's national sports teams.

"As the current guardians of the game of rugby union it is therefore appropriate that we take this opportunity to apologise to those Maori players who may have been excluded from selection and to the offence this may have caused to the Maori community."