Rugby: 'You changed my life': The fan on receiving Sonny Bill Williams' medal in 2015

Charlie Line receives a Rugby World Cup winner's medal from Sonny Bill Williams after the 2015 World Cup final. Photo / Stephen McCarthy / SPORTSFILE

The fan who ran on the field after the 2015 Rugby World Cup final to celebrate with Sonny Bill Williams, and left with the All Blacks' winner's medal, has posted a message for the retired star saying he 'changed his life'.

Charlie Line, was 14 when the ran onto Twickenham following the final between the All Blacks and Australia, before security dragged him away.

Williams later said he felt sorry for the boy and put the winner's medal around his neck, while fellow All Black Liam Messam gave him an All Blacks beanie before they helped him find his family in the crowd.

"A young fella snuck onto the field somehow but when he was coming up to give me a hug, he got smoked by a security guard, full-on tackled him. He was only eight and the other fella was a big man so he was lucky he didn't break his ribs or something," Williams explained about the encounter at the time.

Charlie Lime spoke to World Rugby about taking to the field and getting a winner's medal after the 105 World Cup final. Photo / World Rugby

The All Black was later given a new medal at the World Rugby awards.

Following Williams' retirement from league earlier this month, Lime posted a video on the World Rugby website.

"Sonny, what a career you've had. You'd just announced your retirement. You've done it all. You've won it all…you're really one of the most incredible athletes the world has seen. More importantly, you're one of the best people I've ever met. And a lot of people have felt the same.

"You changed my life back in 2015 when I made the irrational, some might may silly, decision to run on the pitch. You took me back to my family and you looked after me and you gave me this – your winner's medal that you worked so hard for the four years before to win. And you gave it to me because what was more important to you was the memories of being on the pitch with your brothers.

"And I remember, I asked you that evening 'Do you want it back? I feel bad that you've given it to me.' And you said 'no' because you knew the happiness and the pictures of the smiles on my face that you'd give me and the enjoyment of what that meant to me and the memories are always bigger to you.

Williams was reunited with Lime during the 2016 London Sevens in the build-up to the Rio Olympics.

Always good to see my mate @LineCharlie #London7s pic.twitter.com/ulqrkPdLbc

— Sonny Bill Williams (@SonnyBWilliams) May 22, 2016

Williams was awarded the 2015 Panathlon International Fair Play Award to recognise his kind gesture.