Tui gifts winners medal to young fan
Black Ferns star Ruby Tui has gifted her World Cup medal to a young fan who has recently recovered from leukaemia.
In an incredible gesture reminiscent of Sonny Bill Williams gifting his 2015 World Cup final medal to a young English fan, ESPN assistant editor Brittany Mitchell reports Tui was spotted yesterday morning without her medal after gifting it to a fan named Lucia, who she had met earlier last week at a fan engagement event.
Lucia had reportedly followed the Black Ferns throughout the World Cup and told Tui her dream was to become a Black Fern. Lucia’s father had told Tui of his daughter’s recent cancer battle.
‘‘The moment stuck with the 30-year-old, so as she celebrated her side’s historic 34-31 victory over England on the field, she spotted the young fan in the crowd and placed her World Cup winners medal around her neck,’’ Mitchell wrote on ESPN. ‘‘It was a moment not captured by the many cameras around the stadium, but a story relayed to two journalists, who happened across Tui without the medal early on Sunday morning. The moving tale was later confirmed by the Black Ferns.’’
Tui was seen without her winner’s medal in a post-match tweet she published, and she was also without a medal around her neck during yesterday’s parade.
Meanwhile, Portia Woodman doesn’t remember the Black Ferns’ win in the final, but was able to join her team-mates for their celebration in downtown Auckland yesterday afternoon.
The tournament’s leading tryscorer was forced out of the game at Eden Park on Saturday night after England winger Lydia Thompson collided with her and made head-on-head contact, which resulted in her being shown a red card.
She was able to take to the stage to collect her winner’s medal and was involved in the celebrations after the Black Ferns’ 34-31 win.