Durban - A gentle giant and a persistent 9-year-old boy have bonded thanks to the magical power of sport and a pair of smelly socks.
Durban Sharks prop Ntuthuko Mchunu made Nicholas Gorrie feel like a rock star when he kept his word and paid him a visit at his school this week.
It all started last Saturday when the Cell C Sharks players were devastated after their 46-19 loss to the DHL Stormers in Durban.
Mchunu smiled bravely, despite his heavy heart, and as usual he and his teammates mingled with their fans and had a “signing session”.
“No matter how we played, it was packed and people wanted to see us. It was like ‘pick your heads up, we are here for you guys’,” said Mchunu this week.
While a hot and sweaty Mchunu signed autographs, he bumped into a boy who was “adamant” that he wanted the rugby player’s socks.
First the boy asked that Mchunu sign his rugby ball, then his Sharks jersey, and then he asked if he could have Mchunu’s socks.
“Before I could leave he just continued being adamant, saying ‘please can I have your socks, please can I have your socks’,” said Mchunu.
“I said, ‘unfortunately I can’t give you my socks because they are a bit wet, they are full of sweat’. But he was really adamant about it.”
Although Mchunu walked away to interact with other fans the boy trailed behind him, still pleading with him for his socks.
“No matter how much distance I gained from him, he was still asking for my socks.”
Perseverance paid off and eventually Mchunu asked the boy his name and the school he attended.
Nicholas identified himself and said he was a Grade 4 pupil at Clifton in Morningside, and that he played under 10s rugby.
“He went on to say ‘I know I’m small but I play lock’. I said ‘don’t worry, you are not small, I was also that kid who was quite small, I only grew later on in my high school career’,” said the prop who currently stands at 1.89m and weighs 120kg.
Mchunu promised to give Nicholas a pair of socks if he attended the next Sharks match, but the boy said it would be impossible because he would be playing sports for his school.
That’s when Mchunu promised they would meet again soon.
Monday came and as Mchunu stepped into Nicholas’s classroom, he said the boy’s eyes lit up.
“After that weekend I just wanted to put a smile on that child’s face,” Mchunu said.
Nicholas said he was in his English class when the prop walked in.
He said Mchunu spoke to his teacher and then walked up to him and handed over the socks.
“The children were surprised and then I told them the story and everyone was like ‘huh’,” said Nicholas.
“My thing is all about giving back to the community, if it starts with a pair of socks then so be it,” Mchunu told the Independent on Saturday.
For Nicholas, it was a huge life lesson in keeping his word.
“He stuck to his word and he came, and that taught me a lesson,” he said.
Nicholas is the grandson of former Natal rugby player Don Speirs and the second cousin of Greg Rawlinson, who moved to New Zealand where he played for the All Blacks.
As a child, his mom Michelle Gorrie also played rugby for DHS old boys.
The Independent on Saturday