Raybane Hume-Kinzett, 11, has won a nationwide competition to run on the ball at the upcoming All Black vs Australia Bledisloe Cup match. Photo / APN
Raybane Hume-Kinzett, 11, has won a nationwide competition to run on the ball at the upcoming All Black vs Australia Bledisloe Cup match. Photo / APN
A Wairarapa boy who was bullied so much at school he tried to kill himself will have his time to shine when he runs on as a ballboy at a Bledisloe Cup match in August.
Raybane Hume-Kinzett, 11, who suffers acute and chronic eczema and weight problems, tried to takehis own life in an attempt to escape schoolyard torment about his eczema and size at school in Carterton at March.
Since then he has received a lot of support from others over his plight.
One of his supporters is Greytown family friend Christine Ammunson, who nominated Raybane for a draw to run on the ball at the upcoming All Black vs Australia Bledisloe Cup match on August 24 at Westpac Stadium in Wellington.
He won, and the timing could not be better, said his mother Sharlee Hume.
She will accompany Raybane to the game, where the Carterton Rugby Club U13 forward will run on the ball in a full junior All Black strip, which he gets to keep.
Raybane, who is playing number eight this season, is keen to one day play as an All Black and said his competition win was "pretty cool"and a fine consolation while he waits for his call-up to the big time.
"I get to sit on the bench during the game and the best bit is just to meet the All Blacks. That will be really cool."
Ms Hume said Raybane had proved himself a battler since his bullying in March and was regularly training at rugby and attending Scouts.
His confidence had grown through sessions and time spent with his school teacher, counsellor, family and friends and he had lost five kilograms in weight and was aiming to shed the same again before his starring role.
"I'm so glad Raybane has been accepted for who he is and not what he looks like. And winning the ball runner contest has helped him no end," she said.
