Corpun file 6238

Nzoom One Sport, New Zealand, 8 November 2000

Initiation rites upset black players

Mallett disapproved of backside beating.

Some black players in the South Africa rugby squad touring Argentina have objected to an initiation ceremony.

The rite involves new Springboks -- five of whom are black -- being beaten on the backside by teammates at their Buenos Aires hotel last weekend.

Nick Mallett, who quit as coach just before the tour of Argentina, Ireland, Wales and England after slamming the high cost of Test match tickets, claimed the ceremony was "barbaric" and banned it.

But it was revived by new coach Harry Viljoen under pressure from senior players Joost van der Westhuizen and Mark Andrews, who said most players favoured the tradition.

Copyright RNZ

See also: 6 May 1956 - 'Schoolboy' beatings for Springboks training defaulters