SBW true spirit of rugby

Watched the story of SBW and the fan. True gentleman and rugby hero. Good for you SBW.

All All blacks are true gentlmen and rugby heroes, well they are today.

A wonderful gesture

A really wonderful act by a player who truly knows the power of rugby - memorable moments relived by fans from childhood to adulthood.

I don't know what age the kid is, but I hope he cherishes it for a few years.  I hope he gets lots of pleasure out of it.  But then I hope one day, when he matures into adulthood, he ponders on that gesture from a great All Black, thinks about how special the day was, thinks about the meaning of what SBW did, the intent in it........... and perhaps one day he'll come to the decision that it's time to return such a gesture in kind and perhaps decide that it's time for the medal to go home to the player.
That would be a wonderful moment in the future if the two of them got together and that boy, then a man, declared his intent to offer it back.

aucklandlaurie wrote:
All All blacks are true gentlmen and rugby heroes, well they are today.

Except McCaw would couldn't seem to find time to mention the other team in his post match interview

Did the ABs even know who they were playing? The brutal and lethal thing about them is how obsessed they are with themselves. They say it often enough and yet still some people still have a problem believing it's true... 'we only really care about getting ourselves right. And if it's right, it's good enough to beat anyone that turns up'

Sounds a cruel and arrogant philosophy but actually that's part of their impressive record right there.

Nice gesture. Hope it doesn't end up on eBay any time soon.

NZ could have done with SBW in the League international today. England just took them apart in the 2nd half

SBW was given a replacement medal at the World rugby awards.

SecretFly wrote:A really wonderful act by a player who truly knows the power of rugby - memorable moments relived by fans from childhood to adulthood.

I don't know what age the kid is, but I hope he cherishes it for a few years.  I hope he gets lots of pleasure out of it.  But then I hope one day, when he matures into adulthood, he ponders on that gesture from a great All Black, thinks about how special the day was, thinks about the meaning of what SBW did, the intent in it........... and perhaps one day he'll come to the decision that it's time to return such a gesture in kind and perhaps decide that it's time for the medal to go home to the player.
That would be a wonderful moment in the future if the two of them got together and that boy, then a man, declared his intent to offer it back.

I agree fly, let the kid enjoy it for now, but one day he will know that he didnt earn that medal and what that means, perhaps he could donate it to his Rugby club or a Rugby Museum.

aucklandlaurie wrote:

SecretFly wrote:A really wonderful act by a player who truly knows the power of rugby - memorable moments relived by fans from childhood to adulthood.

I don't know what age the kid is, but I hope he cherishes it for a few years.  I hope he gets lots of pleasure out of it.  But then I hope one day, when he matures into adulthood, he ponders on that gesture from a great All Black, thinks about how special the day was, thinks about the meaning of what SBW did, the intent in it........... and perhaps one day he'll come to the decision that it's time to return such a gesture in kind and perhaps decide that it's time for the medal to go home to the player.
That would be a wonderful moment in the future if the two of them got together and that boy, then a man, declared his intent to offer it back.

I agree fly, let the kid enjoy it for now, but one day he will know that he didnt earn that medal and what that means, perhaps he could donate it to his Rugby club or a Rugby Museum.

I have to say. Great jesture by SBW. However if I was his parents I'd be saying you need to give this back.

blackcanelion wrote:

aucklandlaurie wrote:

SecretFly wrote:A really wonderful act by a player who truly knows the power of rugby - memorable moments relived by fans from childhood to adulthood.

I don't know what age the kid is, but I hope he cherishes it for a few years.  I hope he gets lots of pleasure out of it.  But then I hope one day, when he matures into adulthood, he ponders on that gesture from a great All Black, thinks about how special the day was, thinks about the meaning of what SBW did, the intent in it........... and perhaps one day he'll come to the decision that it's time to return such a gesture in kind and perhaps decide that it's time for the medal to go home to the player.
That would be a wonderful moment in the future if the two of them got together and that boy, then a man, declared his intent to offer it back.

I agree fly, let the kid enjoy it for now, but one day he will know that he didnt earn that medal and what that means, perhaps he could donate it to his Rugby club or a Rugby Museum.

I have to say. Great jesture by SBW. However if I was his parents I'd be saying you need to give this back.

I hear that that is exactly what the parents offered.... to give it back. And Sonny Bill declined.

great selfless gesture by SBW. Gets a lot of stick and bad press but he is a great role model and a really nice guy.

Slight error in judgment from him though giving that kid his medal.
I'm sure all the kids in that stadium would have loved to have run on and met him but they didn't because they all were obeying the rules. What were the kids parents thinking letting him run on!!
In future will more kids try to run onto the pitch in the hope they might get a souvenir of a player.
The security guard has gotten quite a bit of stick for tackling the kid to the ground but he is there to help keep the players safe and would only have had a split second to see the kid run on. He was only doing his job and probably didn't realise it was just some bratty kid!
Great gesture by SBW but if I were the parents of the kid i'd be auctioning the medal of for charity to show the kid its not the way to behave!

I think SBW and the players knew the predicament the security guard was in. He can't be making judgements based on sentiment, not in this day and age when anything can happen...lethally.

But the kid. He was simply overcome with joy and.... well he tried it on and succeeded. I wouldn't be too hard on him. Just look at the number of streakers that still love to try it on despite all the robust security..... and they're damn adults!

Great gesture.

I happen to think this is all a bit of a nonsense – not withstanding SBW’s selfless act though.

The kid in question happened to be 5 metres away from where I was standing with my 11 yr old son.  This kid got on the pitch and before he ran over to the AB’s, he was told to get back on the otherside of the fence.  He followed instructions and started walking back but then turned and bolted over to the players.  It’s not like he wasn’t warned or anything, the kid was effectively taking the pee.

My son wanted to do the same when he first jumped the fence but showed common sense and restraint.  He had more right to, being a kiwi for starters!!  This kid is 14 and English who probably doesn’t even support NZ

I did laugh though when all the reporters and photographers disappeared again, the kid was frogmarched out by security.

Back to SBW – he’s class.  Most, if not all, the AB players (Julian Savea excepted who had a pic with my son) just went straight to the team bus after doing a little wave.  SBW though, made a beeline to a disabled chap in a wheelchair right at the end of the line only 2 mtrs from us and had a chat and a pic with this guy.  Naturally disappointed that he didn’t stop for my son only a metre to his left, but still he took the time to see this poor guy at the end of the line.  Aussie players were mostly all class – a lot took the time to have photos.

Nice of Sonny to help the kid up and walk him back to the stands after being tackled by an adult security guard, which was his job by the way and now everyone (including Sonny) is having a good old whinge about him. Not sure why he gave his medal away to be honest, especially to some fence jumper who isn't even a kiwi according to the above poster.

SecretFly wrote:A really wonderful act by a player who truly knows the power of rugby - memorable moments relived by fans from childhood to adulthood.

I don't know what age the kid is, but I hope he cherishes it for a few years.  I hope he gets lots of pleasure out of it.  But then I hope one day, when he matures into adulthood, he ponders on that gesture from a great All Black, thinks about how special the day was, thinks about the meaning of what SBW did, the intent in it........... and perhaps one day he'll come to the decision that it's time to return such a gesture in kind and perhaps decide that it's time for the medal to go home to the player.
That would be a wonderful moment in the future if the two of them got together and that boy, then a man, declared his intent to offer it back.

Oh fly... That's got Hollywood written all over it .

Class as well from Pocock

chewed_mintie wrote:This kid is 14 and English who probably doesn’t even support NZ

Like emack, in a similar situation in 1906, this might just sway his allegiance

marty2086 wrote:

Class as well from Pocock

“At the final whistle the first person to come up on Saturday didn’t even shake my hand. As we say in Wales he gave me a ‘cwtch’.

“He put his hand around me and said thanks for a great game. That was David Pocock.

“For someone who has just missed out on winning the Webb Ellis trophy to come up to do that says a lot about the integrity of man himself and what a wonderful sport rugby is.”

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=11542833

Actually I'd say this is the true spirit of rugby. Luni was a nice guy who helped out young players (like Dane Coles) and kids (both of mine, and more than half of the kids on my street). Played hard on the paddock (although maybe not the fittest) but a nice guy off it. It's good to see that the Boys with South Wellington connections took the cup in.