When boys' mentoring charity Big Buddy talks about finding positive male role models for fatherless 7 to 14-year-olds, they're not asking for saints or sports stars to put their hands up.
Although, anyone watching some of the Gallagher Chiefs' best-known rugby players and five Little Buddies at a training session last week would be convinced otherwise.
Thanks to a very thoughtful benefactor, five pairs of Hamilton Big and Little Buddies got to spend almost three hours in the company of famous sportsmen. The group, including Big Buddy area co-ordinator Andrew McFadden, were shown round the team's facilities and treated to lunch. They then spent an hour on the field with Damian McKenzie, Stephen Donald, Liam Messam and Anton Lienert-Brown.
McFadden says watching the players give their undivided attention to the boys while they conducted a mock-training session was truly inspiring.
"At one point, Liam Messam ran alongside one of the boys to encourage him, and when he really began to struggle, Damian McKenzie simply sat down on the grass with him and talked. It was great to see the smiles on these boys' faces. Their Big Buddies had a great time too. It certainly was a memorable day."
International test-playing Gallagher Chiefs players might be a little thin on the ground, but McFadden says kindness and the ability to dedicate some time and attention to a boy each week are qualities that many decent men possess - it's just that more men in Hamilton need to know there are boys waiting for their lives to be bettered in this way.
