Boys shave heads to help coach

Napier old Boys Marist 10th grade Rugby coach Richie Williams who has leukaemia shaves the head of his 6 year old son Finley-Sam Williams.

A group of 10-year-old rugby players have shaved their heads to raise money for their coach, who is battling non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Coach Richie Williams, who has a son in the team, has guided the boys since rippa rugby days.
Two-years-ago he was diagnosed with two different forms of non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

He had been in remission but recently doctors found he had a third type of cancer which required a bone marrow transplant.

For the past few months he has been based in Palmerston North, undergoing chemotherapy and recovering from his operation.

Simon Tremain, whose son and nephew play for the side said: "The team is pretty close, the parents as well so when he told the kids what was happening and said he couldn't be there for the next three months - it was pretty emotional."

Last weekend Mr Williams was back in Hawke's Bay to support his team - albeit sans hair and as a spectator - when one of the boys, Finn McCurdy, came up with an idea to give something back.

He suggested the team shave their heads and get sponsors to raise money for the coach who has given so much to them.

"There are a lot of extra costs that crop up when people get sick - all we wanted to do is make it a little bit easier," Mr Tremain said.

Last night 10 boys lined up at Westshore Hotel to lose their hair, along with four parents - coming up with about $2000.

As he had been on so many chilly winter mornings, Mr Williams was there to cheer them on.