Rugby World Cup: Unshakeable brothers

Helen and Brett Chambers with their boys. Photo / Supplied

It will take less than a minute for brothers George and William Chambers to run the match ball on to Eden Park for the Rugby World Cup final tonight - about as long as it took for their lives to change irreversibly in the Christchurch earthquake.

Their mother Helen died on that day, February 22.

Till then, said their father Brett, the family thought they had the perfect life.

"In 15 seconds, it all changed," he said.

"To first hear through the news that Helen hadn't made it out of the PGC building was pretty devastating for the boys and for me."

Nothing can bring their mum back - but tonight will be a rare moment of brightness in a dark year. And as they run out of the players' tunnel, it will be a chance for the two boys to remember Helen.

If George and William are nervous, their beaming faces don't betray it. Twelve-year-old George knew he would be running the ball out; William, 14, didn't find out till he arrived in Auckland that he'd join his brother.

"They don't probably realise how big a deal it is," Brett said. "We've been trying to scare them by saying there'll probably be half a billion people watching."

Today, the 2011 All Blacks have been dubbed "The Unshakeables" - and the two brothers deserve the same accolade.

Both George and William exuded a calm dignity as they met superstar Tana Umaga at Auckland Airport yesterday.

Brett attributed his sons' integrity to the example set by Helen. "They've looked after me as much as I've looked after them," he said. "They haven't dropped the ball at school. They've carried on. We knew it was going to take a long time to get over it. She was a pretty special lady and a fantastic wife and an awesome mother for the boys."