Cape Town
THE South African tour by the Irish and Welsh rugby teams will now go ahead after threats of international sports sanctions were lifted last night.
The tours by the Irish squad, due to arrive on May 23, and Wales in June, will continue as planned after controversial South African rugby union chief Louis Luyt finally bowed to demand and resigned as president of the South African Rugby and Football Union (Sarfu), yesterday.
Initially, he refused to step down despite calls for a South African rugby boycott by the Government's sports advisers, the National Sports Council. and the resignation of four Sarfu chief executives.
They claimed Luyt's racist policies and maladministration were preventing the sport from developing to the post-apartheid transformation of the country. Mass demonstrations and threats of ensuing violence by angry protesters had prompted the National Sports Council to ask visiting nations to stay away amid fears that the safety of players could not be guaranteed. ''I am not leaving as a bitter man. My people folded and I can't trust them any more,'' said Mr Luyt.
Although the Sports Council called for the resignation of the entire Sarfu executive, rugby officials are hopeful that Luyt's resignation will be enough. The National Sports Council has now reversed its plans to call for bans and disruption to the games and will meet with Sarfu delegates today to discuss plans for a commission of inquiry into the sport.
Sports Council chairman, Mluleki George, has said he will delay sending a formal communique to the Irish and Welsh rugby unions asking them to cancel their tours. ''There is an important meeting today and the implications of the meeting are worth waiting for before our communique goes ahead,'' he said. However, it is expected that all tours will now take place as planned.
Luyt, who led South African rugby during its World Cup victory in 1995, said he resigned because he was not prepared to jeopardise rugby and did not want to be responsible for disruptions to international rugby matches.
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