Strip worn as mark of respect

Nelson Mail

Marist's senior rugby team has been granted a dispensation to wear their previously banned playing strip in tomorrow's Nelson Bays club final, as a mark of respect following the recent death of Carl Thornalley.

Thornalley is the son of former Marist club coach, Brian, and the brother of Brett, a former Marist player and currently part of the Tasman Makos management team.

The club had previously been banned from wearing their newly-developed $3000 playing strip promoting this year's Rugby World Cup due to a breach of Nelson Bays sub-union protocol and an unexpected clash of colours with Motueka-based club Huia's strip. The new jersey bears the flags of Italy, the United States and Russia who will all be playing World Cup matches in Nelson later this year.

The club's senior team had worn the strip in a recent match against Stoke before seeking approval from the sub-union's council of delegates who, at their recent meeting, voted 7-3 against Marist using the new gear.

However, the council of delegates has now agreed to let Marist wear the new strip tomorrow as a mark of respect to the Thornalley family.

Carl's parents, Brian and Ngaere, are both life members of the club, Brett and his wife Kathleen are senior and junior club captains respectively and their two sons, Tom and Will, are junior club members.