Hughes family asks whole town to funeral

It’s the first Tuesday in December and Macksville is bracing itself for the funeral that stops the nation.

And just like the day of Australia’s famous horse race, Phillip Hughes’ family wants all of the country to celebrate.

The life of their son will be fondly remembered during Wednesday’s service in his home town on the NSW mid north coast.

Hughes’ parents, Greg and Virginia, brother Jason and sister Megan have invited the whole town – with a population of around 2500 – to attend.

About 5000 mourners in total are expected at Macksville High School. Cricket Australia estimates between 300 and 400 dignitaries will be amongst them, including past greats such as Shane Warne, Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh, the entire current NSW and Australian Test squads plus India’s stand-in skipper Virat Kohli and coach Duncan Fletcher.

National captain Michael Clarke, fellow Australian batsman Aaron Finch and Hughes’ batting partner at the time of the tragic accident, Tom Cooper, will be amongst the pallbearers at the funeral.

But 80 per cent of the school’s recreation hall, where the service will take place, will be devoted to locals.

“For the people who aren’t able to get into the hall, the family has made arrangements for several overflow areas at the local high school,” said Hughes’ manager James Henderson on Tuesday.

“So everybody should come to celebrate Phillip’s life. That’s what the family wants.”

After the service, which begins at 2pm AEDT, Hughes’ hearse will slowly make its way down the main street of Macksville.

“People who are at the high school during the service are asked to line the streets and pay the most fitting farewell to Macksville’s favourite,” Henderson said.

“Also tomorrow evening, the whole town will stop to celebrate Phillip’s life.

“The family wants to see as many people as it possibly can.”

For those not descending on Macksville, a small river town 50km south of Coffs Harbour, the funeral will be telecast live on TV.

It will also be shown live on big screens at the SCG, where Hughes was fatally struck by a bouncer last Tuesday during a Sheffield Shield game, and also at Adelaide Oval, the opener’s adopted home ground which will host Australia’s rescheduled first Test against India from next Tuesday.

Hughes’ mother is Italian and there will even be a mass in Rome to mark the 25-year-old’s tragic passing.

“There’s not one Australian tomorrow who can’t be with us here in Macksville to celebrate Phillip’s life,” Henderson said.

“That’s something, again, that’s been very exceptionally moving for the family, to think that the whole of the country can stop and join them in celebrating his life and sending him off in the way that they really want to.”

Set for a Test recall, Hughes would have turned 26 last Sunday.

“The past week has certainly been a very, very difficult time for the family and for the broader community,” Henderson said.

“And they’ve been very moved from the support that’s come from here in Australia and obviously all the way around the world, where Phil’s untimely and sad passing has effected so many people.

“They’re very proud that their son has made such an impression on people who knew him and obviously now people who have come to know him in this unfortunate circumstance.”

Henderson said the Hughes’ would like to particularly thank the people of Macksville and the surrounding region – “who are their family, their extended family” – for their love and support.

“And I urge the people of Macksville and the broader region to continue to do that in the next months (because) time heals, but the family will be looking for more and more support in the months ahead.”

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