NZRU: We won't mess with NZ Maori

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The New Zealand Rugby Union is adamant it won't change the New Zealand Maori team's status, despite its racially-based selection criteria set to have it banned from playing the Springboks.

June's proposed Maori/Bok clash in Soweto is now on shaky ground following an edict from the South African Rugby Union's President's Council that no SA Rugby sides can face teams selected on racial lines.

The iconic New Zealand Maori team is clearly one of those sides.

NZRU general manager professional rugby Neil Sorensen said the ruling had been like a "bolt from the blue".

The NZRU had been in negotiations with SARU officials to arrange the much-anticipated match since December.

And even though the side's present status could see it banned from South Africa, Sorenson said the NZRU was not prepared to alter its long-standing make-up.

That included renaming the side the New Zealand Cultural team.

"No, we haven't considered that at this stage," he said.

"We are pretty proud of the New Zealand Maori team and pretty positive about the New Zealand Maori team.

"We wouldn't want to really start tinkering with anything around our boys."

SARU officials and Springbok coach Peter de Villiers had been upbeat that a clash against New Zealand Maori would be a great preparation for the Springboks ahead of their three-test series against the British Lions.

The match would also have given the Maori side a reprieve in 2009, with the team being withdrawn from the IRB Pacific Nations Cup as an NZRU cost-cutting venture.

"We said back in December when we made the decision about the Junior All Black programme and the Maori programme, we would look to give the Maori a programme as long as it was cost neutral," Sorensen said.

Under the deal discussed with for the Bok clash, SARU would have picked up the Maori team's assembly and touring costs.

However, with the match scheduled to take place in Soweto's 100,000-seater stadium, it could have proven a lucrative fixture.

Since a release reiterating the President's Council's stand was released on Thursday morning (NZ time) the NZRU has received support regarding the Maori team.

New Zealand's Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres has also written a letter to South African officials urging them to rethink their stance.

However, Sorensen said there was little doubt that the Maori team was in the category spoken of by the President's Council.

"Yeah well it is, you have to be a Maori to play in it," he said.

"(But) if you read de Bres' comments, he talked about freedom of association, groups of people getting together and deciding to put in a team. And if they have the approval of a national body, which is us, it is all go.

"I think it is pretty inspirational. It is strongly-worded. We agree with the sentiments of this."

Here is de Bres' letter to South African officials:

Dear Members of the SARU Board,

I am writing to you in response to media reports this morning that the South African Rugby Union has a policy that may prevent the Springboks from playing the New Zealand Maori team in Soweto later this year because of a President's Council resolution forbidding the appearance of SARU teams against opponents selected along racial lines.

As New Zealand's Race Relations Commissioner I appreciate why such a policy would have been adopted, particularly because of the racial discrimination in sport that existed in South Africa under apartheid. However, there is no such discrimination in New Zealand: people of all ethnic backgrounds are eligible to play in New Zealand's national, regional and local representative teams, and alongside that, consistent with the principle of freedom of association, people are free to play together in any other combination.

The New Zealand Maori rugby team has a proud history in New Zealand and has the support of the community as a whole.

As Race Relations Commissioner, I have no problem with the concept of a Maori rugby team, or a European rugby team, or a Chinese rugby team, as long as our national, regional and local representative teams are open to people of all ethnicities. This is ethnic diversity, not racial discrimination.

I would urge you to proceed with the proposed game between the Springboks and the New Zealand Maori rugby team in Soweto. I am sure it would be welcomed by the people of Soweto, the people of South Africa and the people of New Zealand.

Yours sincerely

Joris de Bres

Race Relations Commissioner