TOKYO, 22 Oct – Players have produced the wow factor at Rugby World Cup 2019, but it is their children who are providing the ‘aah’ factor.
Images of boys and girls in the arms of fathers shedding waterfalls of tears after their teams crash out of the tournament have been tugging at the heartstrings of hundreds of millions of television viewers around the world.
Perhaps the most emotional moment was the sight of Australia’s Christian Lealiifano crying uncontrollably as he clutched his son Jeremih tight after the Wallabies’ quarter-final defeat by England, top left.
The fly-half, who raced straight to his little boy at the end of the match, was diagnosed with leukaemia three years ago and required a bone marrow transplant from his sister, Sally.
The treatment was successful and considering the seriousness of his condition he has been dubbed a hero even for being on a rugby pitch, let alone playing in World Cup matches.
Moving clockwise through the images above, Louis Picamoles of France took his two sons around the pitch, and Japan’s Amanaki Mafi burst into tears when he took his daughter in his arms after the host nation were knocked out by South Africa.
Maxime Medard made straight for daughter Louison after France’s last-eight defeat by Wales and carried her proudly past both sets of applauding players.
Kieran Read, whose New Zealand side defeated Ireland, had a chat with rival Peter O’Mahony and raised cheers when he tried to high-five the Irishman’s daughter Indie with a hand larger than her head.
There were fewer people around to coo when Australia’s Nic White took his son Leo to training and let him play with a ball that was almost as big as he is.
Irish eyes were weeping when Ireland’s Rory Best let tears fall on to the heads of his three children after his side’s defeat by New Zealand in the quarter-finals, while there were cheers for Zander Fagerson and his daughter Iona, in her tartan outfit, after Scotland’s defeat by Japan.
In the first quartet of pictures above, again clockwise from top left, Japan’s Luke Thompson and Samoa’s Filo Paulo went straight to their children after their final games at RWC 2019, while Australia’s Will Genia delighted snappers at a training day when he posed with daughter Olivia. Unlike her, the scrum-half could not keep a straight face. Finally, Fiji’s Jale Vatubua showed off daughter Valentina to the crowd after the defeat by Wales.
In the second quartet, again clockwise from top left, Fiji’s Campese Ma’afu has to console his son after defeat by Wales, Australia’s Rob Simmons with his wife and daughter, Argentina’s Benjamin Urdapilleta and son, and Japan’s heroic captain Michael Leitch with his daughter.
The World Cup may have lost some of its biggest names but at least those children are able to say daddy’s coming home.
RNS rm/ns/bo
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