Herald reporter Heath Moore is spending five weeks in a Maui campervan following the Lions fans. This is his latest report.
Jo, George and Dick Dawson relax during the tour. Photo / Heath Moore
He's been to an English Premiership final, and now he's on his first Lions trip.
At just 1, George Dawson could be the youngest Lions fan on tour toNew Zealand, and he's already a veteran follower of the game.
Dressed up in a Lions outfit, the rugby-mad baby from Nottinghamshire has attracted a lot of attention, not just from locals but from fellow travelling fans.
George's parents Jo and Dick Dawson, who both play rugby, said the tiny tot has loved his tour down under so far.
"He's really enjoying the trip," the Dawsons told the Herald.
"He has a Lion outfit, and I have a Union Jack suit. He was like a Lions cuddly toy. Everyone was making a fuss of him. He was loving that and smiling and waving. That's been his favourite moment to date.
"He's always smiling for people. He's been amazing on the trip. He just gets on with everyone and plays with all the kids. When he was only 2-weeks-old, we took him to the Premiership final at Twickenham, so he's been around rugby since he was born.
"He's had a few games under his belt. Someone asked us 'doesn't he get frightened?' but he loves it."
One-year-old George Dawson dons his Lions suit ahead of his first rugby match in New Zealand in Whangarei. Photo / Supplied
According to Dick, George took note of the Lions' strategy of falling asleep at crucial moments against the Barbarians and followed suit. But when awake, George loves to look around and see what is going on.
Jo and Dick had planned the trip down under for two years, but George coming along put a potential spanner in the works.
"If you're going to do a Lions tour it has to be a New Zealand one. It's a rugby-mad country, a friendly country; this is the one to do.
"We nearly didn't come because of the little one [George] on my back. We decided yes we can still do what we want to do, even with a 1-year-old, so we went for it. It's been great.
"Travelling in a campervan is so much easier with a 1-year-old. We can have all our stuff ready to go, whether he needs to feed or go bathroom, we're prepared for everything. If we had been doing it in a car and hotel, I think it would have been really difficult.
"The only downside is when we all sit up the front his foot can reach the gear stick so he can knock it from automatic to neutral. He's very useful behind the wheel," they laughed.
George's first rugby game in New Zealand ended victorious after the Lions scored late to beat the Provincial Barbarians in Whangarei. Photo / Supplied
The rugby-mad family has travelled from Bay of Islands, Whangarei, Piha and is now embarking on their next journey around the South Island. The trio will be venturing up the West Coast and into the Nelson region before making their way around the North Island.
Along their journey the couple explained they'd been blown away with the Kiwi hospitality.
"The Adopt a Lion campaign, and the local New Zealanders have been amazing," Dick said.
"It's so heartwarming. It had been raining so we found a nice place for George to play to
let some steam off. We thought, oh no, where are we going to stay? We found the Adopt a Lions fan Facebook page, made contact with the guy, and he took us into his own home. They're so welcoming. We didn't want to put them to any trouble, but they fed us. It was brilliant."
Jo Dawson, George Dawson and Dick Dawson share a moment in Auckland in the build up to the Lions clash with the Blues. Photo / Heath Moore
Despite two poor performances, the Dawsons are going with heart over head and predicting a 2-1 series victory for the Lions over the All Blacks, with George nodding in agreement.
By the time the tour ends George would have been to all 10 Lions games in New Zealand.
"We want to get him into rugby. Our older son [who is back in England] is a fly-half, Dickie is a loose forward, and I'm a second rower," Jo explained.
"So between us we all play. Hopefully, he'll get into it in the next couple of years. You'd like to think he'd have something about him.
