RANFURLY SHIELD PROCESSION

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27151, 22 September 1953, Page 8

RANFURLY SHIELD PROCESSION

Plans For Next Saturday 17 FLOATS ALREADY ENTERED

A Ranfurly Shield procession similar to that held in Wellington last Saturday, will be staged in Christchurch on Saturday morning, before the shield match between Canterbury and Buller. At last evening’s meeting of the management committee of the Canterbury Rugby Football Union, approval was given to the offer of Mr A. T. Cartwright, a Christchurch businessman, to organise a procession. The president of the union (Mr W. C. Dailey) said that many persons had taken him up on what he had said at the reception to the team at the railway station on Sunday morning about a procession. The result was that the telephone in the secretary’s office had been busy all day with firms offering to enter floats.

The secretary (Mr A. C. Felton) said that yesterday about 12 business firms and different Rugby clubs had volunteered to sponsor floats if it was decided to hold a procession. One such firm offered to enter seven floats and towards the end of the day he had a call from a woman who offered to enter three decorated floats with “a Ranfurly' Shield flavour.” Ten other floats had been promised by other organisations. Mr Felton said he had got in touch with the Acting-Town Clerk (Mr C. S. Bowie), who said the union could run a procession, provided the route, which would have to avoid bus and tram routes as much as possible, was submitted to the council for approval. During the day Mr Cartwright volunteered to organise the function. As time was running short he thought it advisable to take over the organising of the project. Mr Dailey, replying to a question, said the Wellington procession was sponsored by firms which consulted with a small committee of the Wellington union. Mr V. L. Jensen said he did not think it was up to the Rugby Union to organise the procession. The union’s job was to administer - Rugby in the province. The proposal to hold a procession on the Saturday morning and to approve of Mr Cartwright organising it, was carried unanimously. Several members said that to make the function a complete success further floats would be needed. The assistance of several bands was also sought.