OBITUARY

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24923, 10 July 1946, Page 8

OBITUARY

MR B. FANNING

Mr Bernard Fanning, a famous Rugby Union forward, died in Christchurch yesterday at the age of 71 years. Mr Fanning was educated at the Marist Brothers School, Christchurch, and at the age of 19 years he first played football for Kaiapoi, afterwards joining the Linwood Club. He filled every executive position in the club, and was a member of the first XV which won the Canterbury Rugby Union Championship for five years in succession, 1895-99, a record that has only been equalled by Marist Old Boys 1919-23. In different years he was captain of the senior team, and is considered by some critics to be the best lock forward ever to play for New Zealand. He toured Australia in 1903 with the New Zealand team, regarded by many as the best team to leave the Dominion. At a time when representative honours were not easy to gain. Mr Fanning represented Canterbury 56 times, and he also played for the South Island several times and for the New Zealand team that beat Bedell-Sievwright’s ... English team in 1904.

A blacksmith by trade, Mr Fanning was a very powerful man, and when he locked a scrum it was properly locked. He was selected for the 1905 New Zealand team which toured England, but was unable to make the trip. Mr Fanning was very well known in trotting circles as a leading farrier, and he took pride in the fact that he shod more New Zealand Cup winners than any other man. His brother, Mr Leo Fanning, is a well-known Wellington journalist, and the author of several books, including “Players and Stayers,” in which he, with his brother “Bernie,” relates many interesting and amusing happenings in the game of Rugby football. Leo*Fanning was also a well-known footballer, and was one of the foundation members of the Christchurch Boys’ High School Old Boys’ Club. Another brother, Alfred, played for Marist Brothers Old Boys, and for New Zealand against New South Wales in 1913. A nephew is Mr L. Peterson, who represented Canterbury, the South Island, and New Zealand in both the Union and League codes. Another brcther, Edward, is a lithographer on the staff of the “Chicago Tribune.” Mr Fanning is survived by his wife, two sons, Edward and Vincent, and one daughter, Mrs F. Sheahan, all of Christchurch.

Regret at the death of Mr Fanning was expressed at a meeting last evening of the management committee of the Canterbury Rugby Union.