All Blacks go to South Africa despite security threat

7.30pm

The All Blacks admitted to concerns about travelling to South Africa because of a possible terrorist threat against Saturday's Tri-Nations rugby match against the Springboks, before unanimously agreeing last night to go.

"The call was basically we all go or not go at all," No 8 Xavier Rush said at Sydney Airport this morning before boarding the team's flight to Johannesburg.

The team held a meeting last night after their 23-18 loss to the Wallabies, where they were updated on the security risk in South Africa, with a view to either continuing their trip there or pulling out.

A South African newspaper last week named Ellis Park, Saturday's venue for the Springboks test in Johannesburg, as a potential terrorism target in a campaign planned by the al Qaeda network.

New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) chief executive Chris Moller said last night: "Media comments in South Africa make references to tourists and certain events, one of which that was specifically mentioned was the Tri-Nations match between the Springboks and the All Blacks."

He stressed the media reports had been unsubstantiated.

The All Blacks were informed of the news on Friday, but were briefed again by senior NZRU officials at last night's meeting.

Rush said there were concerns. "There is a bit of concern, there has to be, you don't want to go into a war zone. But from what the (New Zealand) Government says... the chances are pretty minimal and the guys are feeling pretty happy and confident."

Senior All Black Andrew Mehrtens said the team concluded there was no greater risk in South Africa now than there was a week or a month ago.

"It was important that we decided that we weren't going to go with anything in the back of our minds, or with any sort of worries at all, so everyone would be comfortable with it. So it was just a matter of determining whether or not we were, and the guys came pretty quick(ly) to the conclusion that we wanted to go over there and get stuck into the game."

Team coach Graham Henry confirmed it was a collective decision by the All Blacks to go to the republic.

"I think people wanted to know all the facts and discuss it in full and that was done. The security risk is one out of 10 -- one being low and 10 being high.

"We have got the advice from the New Zealand Government, from the people who know about these things and give advice on these things. It's being done correctly."

Henry's comments were echoed by Prime Minister Helen Clark.

Speaking to NZPA in Apia, where she is attending the Pacific Islands Forum, Helen Clark said there was "no substance" to the speculation of possible security threats.

Henry said the situation was being continually monitored. "And if the situation does deteriorate we can make a decision to abort, if that is the correct term."

He admitted there were concerns in the ranks about the security risk. "Obviously people are going to be concerned, it's just natural. So those things are discussed... and a number of people have had a say on the matter."

Henry said the All Blacks' scrum coach, Mike Cron, was a former policeman and security risk specialist. "He explained what a one out of 10 security risk (is) and that was very helpful."

The NZRU had contacted the players' wives and partners and informed them of the situation, he said.

Henry last night denied the news had any effect on the team's performance against Australia. Rush today agreed.

"No, it wasn't much of a distraction. There was a risk in South Africa and there wasn't much we could do about it then. So no, there are no excuses."

In a statement today, Moller said the decision to travel was not taken lightly.

"We are satisfied, based on the information we currently have, that the recent media reports have not been substantiated by other intelligence or evidence and the current risk level for travel to South Africa has not changed."

He said the union and team had assessed information from a variety of sources, including New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) before making their decision.

The union and team management would actively monitor the security environment once in South Africa and assess any new information or potential security risks.

MFAT spokesman Jonathan Schwass today confirmed they had given advice to the NZRU. "We told them that we know of no reason why they shouldn't fly to and play in South Africa and as you know, they are on their way."

The All Blacks are to be based in Cape Town for most of this week, before transferring to Johannesburg shortly before the game.

The South African Press Association has reported that Brian van Rooyen, SA Rugby Union president, has been in contact with South Africa's minister of sport and been given a reassurance there was no security risk.

The Sunday Star-Times newspaper today said a report compiled by the South African government on the tourism threat had been sent to All Black managers.

Johan Prinsloo, the acting managing director of SA Rugby, told the paper media reports on a pending terrorist attack had sparked an increase in security measures and that he had been in regular contact with All Blacks manager Darren Shand.

He said while the news report about the threats were unsubstantiated, they were being taken very seriously.

South Africa's Star newspaper said two South Africans, Zubair Ismail and Abu Bakar, also known as Feroze Ganchi, were captured on July 25 in the eastern Pakistani city of Gujrat along with Tanzanian al Qaeda operative Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, who is wanted by the United States for the 1998 bombings of US embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam.

It said a Pakistani security official told reporters in Islamabad on Tuesday that the South Africans had planned attacks on tourist sites in Johannesburg.

The Australian Rugby Union is also assessing the situation. The Wallabies are due in South Africa for the crucial final match in the Tri-Nations series the weekend after the All Blacks play there.

New Zealand Rugby Players Association CEO Rob Nicol today said players and management would have been able to make up their own minds about travelling to South Africa free of worries of recrimination.

Nicol also acted for New Zealand's Cricket Players Association when the tour to Sri Lanka was aborted in 2002. "What we learned from cricket is that even though we toured, a bomb still went off."

Today Helen Clark was asked whether it was safe for the All Blacks to go and she replied that she was saying no such thing.

"I'm never going to make a statement like that because South Africa has significant crime problems apart from anything else but what I am saying is there is no information available to us -- or I believe to South Africa -- which would suggest there's a significant problem here."

She understood the NZRU had been speaking to MFAT , which would have conveyed that it had no specific information which would bear out the speculation.

There was some indication of how the speculation had begun: "It's sort of adding two and two and getting about 5004," she said.

"It's just rumour."

If the speculation had substance to it, the Government would have conveyed that to the rugby union.

Like the situation over the cricketers and Kenya during last year's World Cup, the Government would make information available but then it was up to sporting bodies to make their own judgements about the safety of their players.

"If we think there's an extreme or high or medium risk we say so. But we don't have any evidence which would lead us to do that right now," Helen Clark said.

- NZPA