Rugby and cricket stars to play for Lomu-Crowe trophy

The Black Clash cricket match will honour two sporting greats with the winning team to be awarded the Lomu-Crowe trophy at Christchurch's Hagley Oval next Friday.

Martin Crowe passed away in March 2016 following a battle with cancer. He is considered New Zealand's greatest test batsman and is one of only three New Zealanders in the ICC Hall of Fame. All Blacks great Jonah Lomu, a member of the World Rugby Hall of Fame, died in 2015 of a heart attack.

Crowe was a promising schoolboy rugby player featuring on the wing for Auckland Grammar School in a side that feature All Blacks first five-eighth Grant Fox.

The trophy is created by renowned New Zealand artist Shane 'Spud' Dudley with the blessing of the families of Lomu and Crowe.

Constructed from cement overlay to create a Greenstone finish blade, with steel and copper wire binding, the trophy is based on an adze – a prized Maori possession and tool that today symbolises strength and mana.

The event is the creation of former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming and Duco Events boss David Higgins.

"It's truly fitting that the names of these two national heroes have pride of place on what is a wonderful, iconic piece of Kiwi art," says David Higgins of Duco Events.

"I've always believed that Martin and Jonah have not been fully recognised for the contribution they made to the country through their tremendous deeds on and off the sports field.

"Both Martin and Jonah were men whose achievements transcended the sports field.

"So to be able to honour them even in a small way by naming the T20 Black Clash trophy the Lomu-Crowe trophy just feels right.

"To me it is fitting that Jonah and Martin be linked in some way to an event that features so many of New Zealand's biggest sports stars. So we commissioned Shane Dudley to make a trophy that would be both unmistakably Kiwi and suitably honour the legacy of both Martin and Jonah."

The exhibition idea is to pit rugby players who might otherwise have been professional cricketers, against some of the best former New Zealand representatives.

The match will replicate South Africa's Nelson Mandela Legacy Cup where the Springboks play the Proteas.

The Team Rugby side will feature current All Blacks captain Kieran Read, former captain Richie McCaw and renowned cricketing talents Beauden and Jordie Barrett and Israel Dagg. Black Ferns star Kendra Cocksedge will also play for Team Rugby.

Team Cricket will including Fleming, former Black Caps captain Brendon McCullum along with Grant Elliott, Chris Harris, Nathan Astle and James Franklin.