Tractor procession from Bridgnorth to Telford planned for funeral of Shropshire rugby player
The funeral of a young Shropshire farmer and passionate rugby player will be held tomorrow, with a cavalcade of tractors forming part of a procession from Bridgnorth to Telford.
Will Rogers, 26, died when he was hit by a vehicle on the B4368 at Diddlebury, between Craven Arms and Much Wenlock, in the early hours of Saturday, April 30.
Ten tractors will make their way north from Bridgnorth Rugby Club tomorrow morning, through Shifnal and onto Telford Crematorium at Redhill.
Bridgnorth police tweeted yesterday warning of delays from noon along the A442, the B4379 and A4169 as well as the A5 approaching the crematorium.
Former team-mates and colleagues will form a guard of honour as his coffin enters the crematorium, with more than 100 people from the club expected to attend and the social club at the Edgar Davis Ground hosting the wake.
Will was a long-standing member of Bridgnorth and played prop forward for the senior teams until a serious accident two years ago when he was left in a coma and former team mates will form a guard of honour as the coffin enters the crematorium and the wake will be held at the club
Spokesman Ian George said: "We are still trying to come to terms with what happened - Will had been a member of the club since he was a junior and had come through the ranks to play for the first team until the accident had left him in a coma and unable to play rugby.
"His presence was always felt – whether on the field as he was a big lad – in the dressing room, or at social events which he continued to attend after he had to stop playing.
"He was a farmer at heart and had spent time in Australia and New Zealand sheep shearing and travelling there so he was well grounded and just a genuinely nice kid – rugby and farming were his life."
An inquest into his death in Shrewsbury was opened last month and adjourned until August.
It heard he was hit by a vehicle and suffered fatal injuries.
Shortly after the death his mother, Mandy Oliver, said: “We cannot find the words to express how we are feeling right now, our lives have been ripped apart.
“Will was our world, he was full of fun and could always make you smile with his witty sense of humour."
