Ticket joy for Rugby World Cup good samaritan

Napier man Malcolm Reid sacrificed his ticket to the France-Canada game at McLean Park when Wales fan Henry Goodburn turned up with a broken-down rental vehicle. Photo / Hawkes Bay Today

Malcolm Reid has been inundated with emails and gifts from strangers up and down the country since giving up his only Rugby World Cup ticket to help out a stranded Wales supporter.

Mr Reid, from Malcolm Reid Auto & Electrix in Napier, sacrificed his ticket to the France-Canada game at McLean Park when Henry Goodburn turned up with a broken-down rental vehicle.

It would take five hours to get a replacement rental vehicle, meaning he'd miss the Wales-Samoa game in Hamilton.

Mr Reid and his wife Beverly hosted Mr Goodburn in their home with beer, a roast dinner and watching the day's matches on television, and in the process gave up their own match tickets.

Mr Reid's hospitality extended further afield to Mr Goodburn's friend in Hamilton. He was waiting for Mr Goodburn to arrive with his ticket.

"When his car broke down he said 'could I use your phone?' and I said 'go for your life'. He spent a long time on the phone to rugby officials because his friend that was in Hamilton didn't have the ticket," Mr Reid said.

Mr Goodburn managed to persuade officials to let his friend in to the match.

Since then Mr Reid's received phone calls, email, flowers, batches of home baking and pizza from locals and people around the country recognising his generosity.

"I'm actually quite humbled and stunned by it all.

"A lady from up north said she was proud to be a New Zealander and thank you very much."

Yesterday a woman arrived at his work with a plate of muffins. "She just said share these with the boys," said Mr Reid.

Hawke's Bay Today too, was impressed with Mr Reid and yesterday secured him a ticket to the Canada and Japan match at McLean Park.

The icing on the cake was Mr Reid's wife also got to attend the match after a colleague passed on a spare ticket.

This morning, the keen rugby fan was still buzzing from the match. "It was brilliant."