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16 April 2024

Sonny Bill thrills fan, 8, with latest trophy giveaway

Sonny Bill Williams of New Zealand gives his winning medal to young fan Charlie Lines following the 2015 Rugby World Cup Final match between New Zealand and Australia at Twickenham Stadium on October 31, 2015 in London, United Kingdom. (Getty)

Published
By AFP

An eight-year-old boy has posted a video online to thank Sonny Bill Williams for giving him his Hong Kong Sevens runner-up trophy - echoing the All Blacks star's selfless act at the World Cup final.

Young fan Cooper Rodda was upset after New Zealand lost 21-7 to Fiji in Sunday's Hong Kong final. But he cheered up when double World Cup-winner Williams agreed to a selfie after the presentations.

And he was then astonished as the burly former rugby league star unexpectedly handed him his runners-up silver tankard and walked away.

It was not the first act of kindness by Williams, who famously gave away his World Cup winner's medal to a young fan on the pitch at Twickenham last year.

"My mom asked him for a selfie... and then when he gave my mom her iPhone back he also gave me this awesome HK Sevens runner-up trophy," Rodda says in his YouTube video, holding up the engraved tankard and wearing an All Blacks shirt.

"He's, like, one of the most nicest guys in the world. I'm his number one fan so thank you Sonny Bill for giving me this."

Rodda's mother, Tan Guerin-Rodda, told the South China Morning Post: "Sonny took a selfie with us and just walked off.

"It was (my husband) Jeff who said, 'Oh my God, did you just see what he did?' I was just gobsmacked. We had no idea that would happen, we were caught unaware."

The family are originally from Hawkes Bay in New Zealand and moved to Hong Kong two years ago, according to the newspaper report.