FOOTBALL FUNERAL.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 209, 5 September 1927, Page 5

FOOTBALL FUNERAL.

BURIED WITH HIS COLOURS. TRIBUTE TO AX ALL BLACK. The funeral of the late Mr. W. Cunningham, who was universallv known in Xew Zealand as a member o'f the famous Xew Zealand Rugby team that toured Britain in 1905, was "marked by a very large gathering of citizens and sportsmen yesterday afternoon. Among those present were: Messrs. J. Arneil, H. Frost and M. J. Sheahan (president, executive chairman and vice-pre-sident respectively of the Auckland Rugby Union), Mr. J. Clarkin, representing the X.S.W.Rugby Union, Mr. E. McKenzie, representing the X.Z.R.U. and the Wairarapa Rugby Union, Mr. J. Donald (captain), and other members of the Wairarapa football team, and representatives of the Thames Rugby Union. There were also a large number of Auckland players and members of the local Rugby Union and the Referees' Association!

The pall-bearers were Mr. F. Miirrav, a Xew Zealand representative footballer of the nineties and an Auckland selector of later date, and Messrs. G. Nicholson, G. Gillett and G. Tyler, who were fellow players with Mr. Cunningham in the 1005 All Blacks team. At the graveside the eervice was conducted by the Rev. Jasper Calder, who paid a tribute to Mr. Cunningham as citizen and footballer, and a dramatic feature of the ceremony was the throwing of an Auckland representative jersey on the lowered coffin to be interred with the remains of the deceased footballer, who had worn the province's colours with distinction for fourteen years.