SBW puts his hand up
Williams heading south to support devastated city
Sonny Bill Williams is travelling to Christchurch this week to fundraise for and offer his support to the city’s grieving Muslim community. He will miss the Blues game against the Highlanders at Eden Park on Friday, which will count as one of his All Black stand-down weeks.
Williams, a proud Muslim, has been profoundly affected by the acts of terrorism in Christchurch last Friday and recently posted a video on social media during which he was in tears.
His decision to travel south rather than continue training in Auckland will receive the full support of his franchise, who cancelled a planned media session yesterday due to the atrocities committed in Christchurch.
All top All Blacks are required to have two weeks off — not counting the two byes — to try to preserve their mental and physical well-being in this World Cup year.
“Thank you everyone for your kind hearts,” Williams posted recently on a social media site. “We will be in Christchurch later in the week to show love and give donations to the Christchurch Masjids [places of prayer], for the people affected in this tragedy. My heart is heavy, please don’t stop showing your support.”
Williams’ arrival in Christchurch will be significant on many levels, not least because the former Crusaders player lived in the city during the earthquakes of 2010 and 2011.
Arriving from France, he played for Canterbury and then the homeless Crusaders during their run to the Super Rugby final, so he knows only too well what the community went through during those difficult times.
The 33-year-old midfielder and father of three admits he has matured significantly as a person and leader while at the Blues the past couple of years. His influence during his team’s 28-20 victory over the Sunwolves at North Harbour 10 days ago was hailed by his coaches and teammates alike.
Not only was it the Blues’ first victory of the season after three defeats, it was also their first match in Auckland following the sudden death of prop Mike Tamoaieta, and a game held on Tamoaieta’s home ground.
The Blues had a bye at the weekend and will face a Highlanders team on Friday who had their match against the Crusaders in Dunedin called off due to the terror attacks which resulted in the deaths of 50 people and injuries to another 50.
Williams will have an obvious replacement for the No 12 jersey in Ma’a Nonu, the former All Black who hasn’t played since starting for the Blues against the Jaguares in Buenos Aires on March 3. Williams’ start against the Sunwolves was his second in four games — he was a replacement in the other two — and while a little rust remains after his injury problems of last year during which he could never put a good run together, his leadership, carries and offloads became more influential as the game wore on. Afterwards, he spoke of the need to keep going: “I just want to keep playing. I know at the All Blacks, I think we have a stand-down period or whatever it is, but I just want to keep playing because it’s been a long, tough road the last couple of years, so it’s good to get some minutes under my belt.” Williams, one of the hardest trainers in the game, would have liked a game last weekend but for the Blues’ bye and now the unsettling attacks in Christchurch have drawn him there. In recent years, he has often stated rugby isn’t the most important thing in his life and his gesture this week is proof of that.