Rugby: Porirua Park Stadium to be renamed in Jerry Collins' honour

Porirua Park Stadium will be officially renamed the Jerry Collins Stadium on Friday. Photo/Getty.

Porirua Park Stadium will be officially renamed the Jerry Collins Stadium on Friday, in memory of the late All Black.

Collins and his wife Alana Madill were both killed in a car crash in the south or France in June last year, while the pair were survived by their baby daughter, Ayla, who was injured in the accident.

Collins grew up playing his rugby for Northern United Rugby Football Club at Porirua Park Stadium and a popular social media campaign led the push to have the ground renamed in his honour.

A Facebook page calling for the name change has received almost 7000 likes while Porirua Mayor Nick Leggett was among those supporting the cause.

"Jerry was a favourite son of Porirua and I think that we wanted to honour him in an appropriate way for his memory and for his family," Leggett told Fairfax Media.

"It made sense to name the grandstand at his home ground park after him."

Following Collins' death, a large contingent of children, families, Northern United players, and club supporters gathered on the field to celebrate the former Hurricanes and Wellington loose-forward's life.

His coffin was carried out into the halfway line and a guard of honour, dressed in the club colours of blue and white, performed a traditional war dance in his honour.

On Friday, Collins' father will be present for the official renaming of the ground and to unveil a commemorative plaque in memory of his son's contribution to the stadium, club, and local area.

Porirua City Council events manager Robert Baldock has welcomed the public to attend the unveiling, with a blessing to be performed by Ngati Toa kaumatua Taku Parai.

"We've built a concrete plinth with the bronze plaque on top, and have put signage on the stadium with Jerry in selected different playing jerseys," Baldock told Fairfax Media.

"The family wrote the wording on the bronze plaque. It's a beautiful plaque, really outstanding. I think they'll be very proud of it.

"He always loved playing on his home turf."