Five teams were invited: Australia, England, India, the Netherlands and the West Indies, but as in 1978, South Africa were not invited due to the ongoing boycott. Despite the increased sponsorship, and the involvement of the IWCC, participating teams and players had to fund their own visit. For example, each Indian player had to pay ₨10,000 (roughly £570, or US$1,000 at the time). This cost was prohibitive for the Dutch team, who withdrew from the tournament, as they had four years earlier. The West Indies also pulled out, in protest that New Zealand had hosted the apartheid-era South African rugby team in 1981. In order to prevent another four-team competition, the organising committee decided to invite a selection of players to form an International XI, as had featured at the 1973 World Cup.