The Springboks' planned British & Irish Lions warm-up against the New Zealand Maori team is likely to be snubbed by SA Rugby because of the racial composition of the Kiwi squad.

Recent reports suggested the Boks were to play Namibia in Windhoek in late May, followed by a fixture against the Kiwi invitational side in Soweto in June.

The two games would be the Boks' only chance to gear themselves up for the series against the Lions, which kicks off in Durban on June 20.

The Maori, who won the Pacific Nations Cup last year, have been replaced by the Junior All Blacks for the 2009 version of the tournament.

In a statement released on Wednesday, SA Rugby confirmed the New Zealand Rugby Union's inquiry for an opportunity for the Maori team to appear in South Africa but it highlighted a number of factors before the fixture could be confirmed.

They would be available to tour South Africa, but it will cost SA Rugby a few million rand and a sponsor would also have to be found.

However, the biggest stumbling block appears to be the President's Council resolution regarding opponents selected along racial lines.

"SA Rugby is examining the possibility but no decision has been taken on whether the offer will be accepted and there are several obstacles to overcome should we wish to pursue the offer," SA Rugby strategic communications manager Andy Colquhoun said.

"They include the financial viability of the project, logistics around venues and player availability and the fundamental stumbling block of a long-established President's Council resolution forbidding the appearance of SARU teams against opponents selected along racial lines.

"A final decision is not expected until the end of March," he said.

The statement does not clarify how the Council's stance ties in with the government's insistence on the set number of non-white players required for the Springbok team.

This could also be seen as a contradiction as SARU president Oregan Hoskins previously suggested that the selection of Bok coach Peter de Villiers may not have been based entirely on rugby reasons.

365

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