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Former All Blacks hooker Tane Norton said the apology to Maori players from South African and New Zealand rugby bosses closes a chapter in rugby history, and it is now time to move on and concentrate on making next year's world cup tournament in New Zealand the best it can be.
Rugby unions from both countries apologised today to Maori players excluded from All Blacks' teams because of apartheid in South Africa, saying the respect of New Zealand Maori rugby was not upheld and that was deeply regretted.
It followed an apology from South Africa's sport and recreation minster, Reverend Makhenkesi Arnold Stofile, who sent a public letter of apology to Maori players who were left out of tours to the country in 1928, 1949 and 1960.
Shortly after the apology was issued today former New Zealand captain Norton told NZPA it was now time to move on.
Norton, who played 61 games for the All Blacks, including 27 tests, and toured South Africa in 1976, said he was glad the issue had been dealt with and he hoped people were "satisfied and happy with it".
"Certainly the people who didn't go...it must have been very sad for them but I hope everything is okay now and put behind us. Let's move on and we now have to show ourselves as being great hosts for the World Cup."
Norton, 68, said as a young rugby player one of his big desires was to play South Africa.
"I know most think it was a selfish attitude but that is what things were like in those days. Today it has certainly changed."
During the 1976 tour of South Africa, when they played 26 games, Norton said apartheid was not a big issue for the All Blacks, including the Maori players in the team.
"You were glad to be there and glad to be in the All Blacks and I loved every moment of it."
However, he said the All Blacks had the chance to talk to people about apartheid.
"We had the opportunity in 1976 to talk to people and make a small difference. If things didn't change we would never get back there because things were changing.
"There was a lot of pressure coming from everywhere and I think in some small way we did make a difference."
He said he was very disappointed at the opposition the 1981 Springbok tour of New Zealand received.
"But that is the way things were going and it was pretty hard to accept as a New Zealander and as far as I was concerned as a rugby player.
"But people were pretty adamant they wanted change and that is what happened."
Norton said he recalled vividly the day (July 25) the Springboks game against Waikato in Hamilton was called off when anti-apartheid protesters invaded the field.
"I still remember where I was and couldn't believe it. I was working in the glasshouse."
He said it was a terrible time for New Zealand and while most people loathed the principles of apartheid, they still wanted to watch the Springboks.
"We had come through years and years when we couldn't beat South Africa and we were brought up as young people as that was the one thing we wanted to do," Norton said.
Norton played in all four tests when the All Blacks toured South Africa in 1976. New Zealand lost the series 3-1.