Kiwis locked in trophy row
Source: Agencies |
August 19, 2011, Friday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
THE captain of the team which wins the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand in October will hold aloft the William Webb Ellis Trophy.
Fans who once wondered which team are now asking which trophy?
Cup organizers concede that two William Webb Ellis trophies exist, an original made in 1906 and a duplicate made in 1986, a year before the first World Cup. They say despite their age and provenance, the trophies are "of equal stature".
However, Kiwis are not convinced, after learning that the trophy which made a 27-stop New Zealand tour last month to boost Cup support may not have been the original.
More than 11,000 New Zealanders lined up to be photographed with the Webb Ellis Trophy during last month's Rugby World Cup Roadshow. Many are now disappointed to learn the trophy that toured New Zealand may have been a duplicate. The original is housed at International Rugby Board headquarters in Ireland, where it is due to undergo minor repairs.
Organizers moved quickly yesterday to staunch what might have been the latest public relations hiccup to hit the tournament. Rugby New Zealand 2011 chief executive Martin Snedden assured fans the trophy that toured New Zealand will be the one that is held aloft by the victorious captain at Auckland's Eden Park after the October 23 final.
"The trophy that New Zealanders saw and had their photos taken with is the Webb Ellis Cup that will be presented to the winning team at the final of Rugby World Cup 2011," Snedden said. "We are pleased to be able to reassure all those fans who turned up early in the morning around the country that the experience they had was genuine."
However, many fans remain dubious and David Kirk, captain of the New Zealand team which won the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987, says he hopes the trophy he received was the 1906 original, not a copy.
Fans who once wondered which team are now asking which trophy?
Cup organizers concede that two William Webb Ellis trophies exist, an original made in 1906 and a duplicate made in 1986, a year before the first World Cup. They say despite their age and provenance, the trophies are "of equal stature".
However, Kiwis are not convinced, after learning that the trophy which made a 27-stop New Zealand tour last month to boost Cup support may not have been the original.
More than 11,000 New Zealanders lined up to be photographed with the Webb Ellis Trophy during last month's Rugby World Cup Roadshow. Many are now disappointed to learn the trophy that toured New Zealand may have been a duplicate. The original is housed at International Rugby Board headquarters in Ireland, where it is due to undergo minor repairs.
Organizers moved quickly yesterday to staunch what might have been the latest public relations hiccup to hit the tournament. Rugby New Zealand 2011 chief executive Martin Snedden assured fans the trophy that toured New Zealand will be the one that is held aloft by the victorious captain at Auckland's Eden Park after the October 23 final.
"The trophy that New Zealanders saw and had their photos taken with is the Webb Ellis Cup that will be presented to the winning team at the final of Rugby World Cup 2011," Snedden said. "We are pleased to be able to reassure all those fans who turned up early in the morning around the country that the experience they had was genuine."
However, many fans remain dubious and David Kirk, captain of the New Zealand team which won the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987, says he hopes the trophy he received was the 1906 original, not a copy.
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