Mallard sorry for crude comments, but no apology for officials

5.30pm

Sports Minister Trevor Mallard today said he was sorry for making crude verbal threats to International Rugby Board (IRB) chairman Vernon Pugh and another rugby official, although he stopped short of apologising to them.

The IRB decided overnight that Australia would host all games in the 2003 World Cup, cutting out New Zealand as co-host.

Asked what remedies were open to him, a "gutted" Mr Mallard told Radio Sport they would "involve Heinekens in particularly uncomfortable places".

He offered to use the cup sponsor's product on Mr Pugh, a Welsh lawyer, and Australian Rugby Union boss John O'Neill.

Prime Minister Helen Clark told NZPA Mr Mallard was "a red-blooded passionate rugby supporter" expressing the disappointment of every rugby fan.

Asked if the "uncomfortable places" threat was out of line, she said: "I'm not getting into that."

Leaders of National, ACT, New Zealand First and the Green Party all criticised Mr Mallard.

At a press conference this afternoon, Mr Mallard said he would not make the same comment again.

"Of course I'm sorry I made the comment. It's not a ministerial thing to do, is it, and sometimes I mix up my passion for rugby with my role as a minister of our Government and that's not always good. It's not the first time I've done it.

"I think I would prefer to in future ... meet Mr O'Neill on a field rather than in a debate through the radio waves."

The comment had been made on the spur of the moment when he was "slightly tired" and also after being recently informed that Mr Pugh, at the IRB board meeting, had selectively read parts of a letter Mr Mallard had written.

"I think it's fair to say that my blood pressure at the time was not at the point where my judgment was great."

The parts Mr Pugh omitted centred around a list of things New Zealand had to achieve and "my understanding that we had done what had been asked".

He said the New Zealand Rugby Football Union (NZRFU) was more "naive" than the Australians in accepting Mr Pugh "at his word".

He blamed "mainly Vernon Pugh" for New Zealand being cut out of the cup.

ACT leader Richard Prebble told NZPA that Mr Mallard's crude comments were "unfortunate".

With violent crime a big problem "you've got a prime minister committing forgeries and a sports minister, who is supposed to be helping take young people into a better direction, suggesting shoving bottles into people".

ACT MP Penny Webster said Mr Mallard had made a "bully-boy" joke that was poorly timed given a Hawke's Bay court case involving a group of teenage boys who allegedly did with a broomstick "what Mr Mallard says he'd enjoy doing with a beer bottle".

Green Party co-leader Rod Donald told NZPA the minister had made a "very inappropriate" remark which "reinforces the image that rugby players are a bunch of boozing louts".

National leader Bill English told NZPA the comments were disgraceful coming from a senior government minister.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said he suspected "it's those sorts of comments and attitudes that may in part have led to us losing the World Cup tournament".

Mr Mallard said the IRB's decision had the potential to be "quite damaging" to trans-Tasman relations.

He believed the Government should have got involved earlier: "In fact, I think we will review our processes for further major events."

Mr Mallard would not enter into discussions on whether there should be a New Zealand boycott of the games, although he had yet to decide whether to go to any World Cup games.

"I vacillate between wanting to go and cheer the All Blacks on to victory and not wanting to make a contribution to Australian coffers."

- NZPA

The IRB statement

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