Porirua locals are asking for their stadium to be renamed in honour of former All Black star Jerry Collins.
Jerry Collins playing against South Africa in 2006. Photo: AFP
A Facebook page has been started asking that Porirua Park be renamed the “Jerry Collins Memorial”.
Collins and his partner Alana Madill died instantly in a car crash on Friday and their baby daughter Ayla is in a critical condition in hospital.
Porirua mayor Nick Leggett said he supports the idea for the name change, but says there is a lot of public mourning still to happen and that it’d be appropriate to speak to his family about a memorial first.
“Over the next few weeks or next couple of months, I expect that there’d be an informal discussion with his family and we’ll take it from there.
“It’s hard to explain how significant and how deeply felt Jerry’s death is in the Porirua community. We want to respond to that and we want to be sensitive at the same time to his family.”
Leggett said Collins was a Porirua boy through-and-through, and would be well remembered for his character as well as his rugby ability.
About 1500 people have also marched in silence around Narbonne in a tribute to Collins, who was on the books of the southern French city's rugby club when he died in a car crash.
Organisers said that many wearing the orange strip of the 34-year-old New Zealander's club Racing Club Narbonne Mediterranee, walked in silence behind a photograph of the family.
A three-metre tall image of Collins, who captained his country three times, was also installed outside the 13th century Archbishops Palace in Narbonne's historic centre.
Racing club de Narbonne supporters hold a picture Jerry Collins and his partner during a silent march. Photo: AFP
Southwest France is a strong rugby region and the adopted home of many former and current international players.
Chris Masoe, Collins's cousin who plays for nearby Toulon, attended the rally in Narbonne.
In Perpignan on Saturday, a retirement testimonial for Samoan Henry Tuilagi became a memorial match for Collins instead.
The Narbonne President Anthony Hill says numerous former All Blacks have contacted the club to offer their support and pay homage to their countryman.
Narbonne, who play in France's second division, had been in danger of relegation before Collins arrived.
According to local media reports, the car Collins was in was hit by a bus. An autopsy on Madill, who was driving at the time, is due to be conducted today to help determine the cause of the accident.
Police told local media that the couple's three month-old daughter, Ayla, was in a critical but stable condition in hospital in Montpelier. A fundraiser has been set up for her, which has so far raised almost $13,200.
A version of this story was first published on radionz.co.nz.