Dunedin is getting an All Blacks parade - of sorts.
Perturbed the city would not have a parade after the All Blacks beat France in the final of the Rugby World Cup, a radio station has organised its own.
The event, dubbed the "All (most) Blacks Victory Parade", will start at noon from the Octagon, with a convoy of mock All Blacks travelling along George St towards the Forsyth Barr Stadium.
The Edge-organised event will include breakfast radio hosts Jay Jay Feeney, Mike Puru and Dom Harvey, people wearing All Black jerseys, and possibly the city's own Nude Blacks travelling on vehicles.
Up to 1000 people were expected to attend the parade, which would include confetti, ticker tape and balloons.
No All Blacks would be involved, and the station had not sought council approval for the mock parade, a spokesman said.
It was unfair the city was snubbed by the All Blacks, who attended parades in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch before the squad broke up.
Last night, around 7000 people had joined the Facebook page, "We want a victory parade for the All Blacks in Dunedin", with hundreds indicating they would attend the parade today.
New Zealand Rugby Union general manager public affairs Nick Brown said "the team has been overwhelmed with the support that hundreds of thousands of Kiwis have shown throughout their Rugby World Cup 2011 campaign, and in particular, over the past few days".
"We know there are a couple of towns that wanted to host a victory parade and we would have loved to have gone there but it simply has not been possible given that the All Blacks were only assembled for a few days after the Rugby World Cup Final.
"The All Blacks have now [dispersed] and they are enjoying well-deserved time with their families.
"In the meantime, we will start to look at how best to celebrate the William Webb Ellis Cup with other parts of New Zealand over the coming months."
