CAPE TOWN. Dec 11 (Reuters/ Internet): South Africa's ruling African National Congress has sti-

rred up a hornets' nest with plans to legislate to promote more black players into some of the country's white-dominated national sports teams.

"Our government is tired of apologising internationally for all-white teams that are supposed to represent South Africa." Lulu Xingwana. ANC chairwoman of parliament's sport and recreation committee, told the news agency.

Xingwana said the ANC planned to introduce legislation next year to give a new

sports commission the powers to transform all sports, especially white-dominated rugby and cricket.

"Both rugby and cricket national teams remain lily-white despite their much publicised development programmes in previously disadvantaged communities." she said.

Times have changed since President Nelson Mandela wore a Springbok jersey as he con-Katulated a victorious South

rican rugby team at the World Cup in 1995.

The debate over race and sport, which has simmered for months since the South African Rugby Football Union dragged Mandela to court over an inquiry he authorised into graft

and racism in the sport, erupted again after the country fielded an all-white cricket team against the visiting West Indies.

The ANC said cricket selectors left out black players Makhaya Ntlni and Paul Adams for the flimsiest of reasons.

We would like to see affirmative action applied by all sjwrts codes to ensure that these disadvantaged players make the national teams.' Xingwana said. There is a racist perception that if you bring in blacks you lower standards."

But Bob Woolmer, South Africa's cricket coach, said Ntlni and Adams were out of form at the moment.

"My conscience is absolutely clear." Woolmer said. 'Tvb- always done everything I can to make up for the Inadequacies of the past. I just don't believe there are any prejudices in the people at the top of South African cricket."

Ntlni told Reuters he hoped more black players would win a place on the team soon, but because of merit not race.

"Players of colour who have made it so far have earned it." he said. "But it seems that they could be going to select those who are not quite ready. That would be wrong."

The opposition New National Party -- renamed this week - said it could not support legislation that used race as its basic premise, returning South Africa to apartheid classification.

The proposed legislation is inherently racist and should be rejected with the contempt it deserves." Abe Williams. NP spokesman on sport, said in a statement.

To propose that merit and excellence should be discarded in the selection of our national teams borders on the absurd."