When the French Rugby team played a 'mixed' team in South Africa last year, many people in New Zealand asked themselves and each other if this represented a breakdown in apartheid sport, a move in the right direction.

The question was answered by a number of newspaper editorials, sports writers and headline writers. We were told that this did in fact represent a real breakthrough, that multiracial sport was just around the corner, and that if the All Blacks went to South Africa in 1976, this process would be speeded up.

It would be very encouraging if we could believe that this 'mixed' team that the French played did in fact represent a breakthrough. Hart has been campaigning for six years now against apartheid sport. If there had been a breakthrough, we certainly would not try to pretend it had not happened - we would welcome it. But there has been no breakthrough; the 'mixed' side the French played did not represent a breakdown in apartheid sport; there has been no change in the apartheid structures in South African sport.

This was made quite clear before the game was played. It was made quite clear again after the match had been played. It was made clear by the people who control South African sport - the South African Government.