South Africa’s rugby union will allow matches against New Zealand Maori after amending a post-apartheid policy preventing its teams from competing against opposition selected along racial lines.
SARU said it adopted a new stance following its general council meeting on Friday, allowing South African teams to play against “any team which has the official blessing of its national governing body.”
In 2009, SARU’s policy on teams selected on race prevented a game between the Springboks and Maori.
This year SARU made a surprise apology to Maori players and black players in its own country, who were discriminated against by the previous apartheid-era rugby administration.
The apartheid regime, aided by the New Zealand Rugby Union, kept Maori players from New Zealand tours of South Africa in 1928, 1949 and 1960. When New Zealand refused to send a whites-only team in 1967, South Africa cancelled the tour.
South Africa finally relented in 1970 when three Maori and a Samoan in the All Blacks squad were considered “honorary whites.”
The Maori met the Springboks when they toured in 1921, 1956, 1965 and lost, but drew 12-12 in 1981. A Maori team played a preseason tournament in South Africa in 1994 and reached the semifinals.
Maori rugby celebrated its centenary this year with wins over Ireland and England.
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