Bequest from estate denied All Blacks

Press, 9 June 1982, Page 3

Bequest from estate denied All Blacks

“It came out of the blue in the first place, and now it's gone the same way."

That was Alex Wyllie's comment yesterday when he learned that the High Court had denied him a bequest from the estate of a rugbyloving Christchurch woman. Miss Jessie Irene Sparrow, was an ardent followr of rugby, by means of her television set, and her two favourite All Blacks were Mr Wyllie and Sid Going. Mr Wyllie believed that she had followed their fortunes . on the four-month tour of Britain, France, and North America in 1972-73. Two years before her death in 1976, at the age of 84. Miss Sparrow made a will in which she left the

balance of her estate to Messrs Wyllie and Going. The amount available for distribution was about $32,000. However, the Public Trustee sought orders from Mr Justice Casey interpreting the will, specifically as to whether the two AH Blacks were the true residuary legatees. His Honour has ruled that the gifts to the two former All Blacks had to fail because of uncertainty. No specific amounts were mentioned in the will. Mr Wyllie. who farms at Omihi arid is now the Canterbury rugby selector, was philosophical about the decision. "Just going by what the

solicitor told me. there was a fair chance of getting something." he said. "But there was no mention of a specific sum." Miss Sparrow made be-, quests to other persons, in-' eluding Brian Lochore, the All Black captain from 1966 to 1970, ano her intention was that the money for the two other farmer-footballers would be decided later, depending on what was left after her burial. However. Mr Wyllie said that at no stage did he think too much about receiving a bequest. The fact that the Court had ruled against him was "just one of those things." Court hearing, page 4