Wales fan keeps late father close to action

Barrie-John Partridge's rugby-loving father had been looking forward to his seventh World Cup when he died in August - but he has not missed a Wales match at RWC 2011.

When Barrie-David Partridge passed away the month before the start of the tournament, his son decided right away to take his father's ashes on tour in support of his beloved Wales.

He and his father had already bought tickets and booked accommodation for the Welsh fixtures. They were finalising their plans when the elder Partridge died.

"We didn't talk about taking him to all the Welsh games but I took him anyway,'' says Barrie-John. "I thought I did not want to do this World Cup without dad because since I was a boy it has always been me and dad and rugby.

"This World Cup meant everything to dad. Rugby was dad. He lived and breathed rugby and that is what he taught me to do. He made me passionate about rugby. Dad would not want to miss this World Cup and this is the least I can do for him."

Father-son road show

Barrie-David Partridge was born in Wales and played rugby for 20 years. A neck injury ended his playing days and in 1986, a year before the inaugural Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, the Partridge family moved to the land of the All Blacks and settled in Palmerston North.

"He and mum took me to my first game in Palmerston North, which was Wales versus Tonga,'' said Barrie-John. "He decided that is it, I am going to all the World Cups now."
Barrie-David went to the 1991 RWC in Europe by himself, but it was a father-son road show in subsequent tournaments.

His father's health began to fail months before RWC 2007 and his son used the tournament as a health incentive. He recalls how he told his father, "C'mon Dad. You can do it." Adds Barrie-John: "We survived through that and had a great time in France, Wales and Scotland.

"We had been using this tournament as a health goal as well.''

Played a role

Barrie-John has carried his father's ashes to all the Welsh pool games and the quarter-final against Ireland, and he has tickets for Saturday's semi-final against France.

He recalled the pool game against Samoa and said he was sure his father played a role in Wales rallying for the win.

"I was holding him extra tight. I was thinking, 'Oh no, we might not do this'. It was weird because when I started doing that the Welsh team roared up. It was almost like dad was giving them an extra push.

"He would be extremely excited (about the semi-final) but he would be cautious because he, like I, think we have a very good chance of winning, as good as any team. But if we do not win, he would be thinking, 'well that is nice but we were that close to the final', so he would be devastated as well."

What happens if Wales beat France to advance to the final? Barrie-John does not hesitate.
"We'll be there.''