All Blacks: If they win Rugby World Cup, we get a parade

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An All Black triumph in the Rugby World Cup final against France would be followed by a victory parade up Queen St on Monday, likely to attract tens of thousands of euphoric fans.

The Herald understands the parade would start at the bottom of Queen St at 2pm on the Labour Day public holiday and follow the traditional route up the Golden Mile.

It is not clear if the parade would end in Aotea Square or continue to the Auckland Domain where a post-cup event is taking place from noon.

In May 1995, hundreds of thousands of fans crammed central city streets to welcome home the America's Cup heroes from San Diego.

Well-wishers waved flags and smothered team manager Sir Peter Blake, skipper Sir Russell Coutts and Team New Zealand members in tickertape in one of the most colourful celebrations in the city's history.

The New Zealand Rugby Union was wary of commenting about a similar parade on Monday for fear of tempting fate ahead of the biggest rugby match since David Kirk's All Blacks lifted the Webb Ellis Cup at Eden Park in 1987.

NZRU public affairs general manager Nick Brown said: "It would be premature to talk about any victory celebrations or activities ahead of the final. Our focus is very much on supporting the team as they head into the RWC 2011 final this Sunday."

When word leaked last week of a parade on Wednesday or Thursday, television commentator Keith Quinn warned against overconfidence seeping into the nation's, and even the All Blacks', psyches.

"Let me quote a line from William Shakespeare: 'We must not run before our horse to the market,"' he said.

A welcome home victory parade was planned during the 1999 cup. Auckland councillors were still arguing over who would foot the bill when the All Blacks lost their semifinal against France.

And it is again the French they will face at Eden Park on Sunday.

The 2pm parade would give the All Blacks little time to recover from celebrating a cup win. With the match and formalities not due to finish until after midnight, the players and team staff would not start partying proper until the early hours of Monday morning.

The parade would not use Queens Wharf, better known as Party Central and the main fan zone for the six-week tournament. The gates at Queens Wharf close at 3am on Monday and stay closed that day while the cruise ship Pacific Dawn, berthed at the wharf, is prepared to leave port.

Organisers of the celebratory Labour Day festival, Kiwi Day Out - backed by Fonterra - are keen for a victory parade to end in the Domain.

SMC Events chief executive Dave Mee said it would be fantastic for the All Blacks to arrive about 3.30pm when there was a live link to six other events around the country.

"It would be a brilliant idea to have the All Blacks on our stage greeting the heartland of New Zealand at Invercargill, Whangarei, Hawera, Palmerston North, Ashburton and Hamilton," Mr Mee said.

Singer Dave Dobbyn, who sang Welcome Home at the start of the tournament, will close the Kiwi Day Out.

The Government's Rugby World Cup Authority yesterday heard plans to create new fan zones on Sunday at Aotea Square and a neighbouring block of Queen St from Wellesley St to Mayoral Drive; Marsden Wharf for 4500 people and increasing the capacity at Captain Cook Wharf from 10,000 to 14,000.

The new fan zones are planned to increase capacity around the waterfront and central city to avoid a repeat of the opening night debacle.

Auckland Transport will close Queen St between Customs St and Victoria St from 10.30pm on Sunday to allow for large crowds expected on the city streets after the final.

The closure will extend to Mayoral Drive if the authority approves closure of the block of Queen St for the fan zone.

Wellesley and Victoria Sts will remain open to vehicles, but motorists can expect delays.