Rugby league: Grieving New Zealand Warriors hooker Wayde Egan donates clothes to homeless

Warriors hooker Wayde Egan (second from right) with members of Parramatta's homeless community who accepted clothing donations. Photo / Twitter

Young New Zealand Warriors star Wayde Egan has been praised by Sydney locals after selflessly going out of his way to deliver clothing to homeless people after attending a funeral in the area.

The 24-year-old hooker, who grew up in Sydney's western suburbs, dropped by an outreach centre in Parramatta to hand out Warriors gear and spend time with homeless in the area.

Chris Vagg, the founder of Pass It On Clothing & Co - the company that runs the outreach service which takes donated clothing directly to those in need - posted the story on his Twitter account and mentioned that Egan took time to make the appearance under circumstances that would leave many wanting to be left alone.

"Wayde Egan messaged me a few days ago to see if he could drop by our Parramatta outreach last night," Vagg said.

"He was in town to attend a funeral + arrived last night on his way back up the coast with a bag of NZ Warriors kit for our homeless friends. Good kid this one."

Wayde Egan messaged me a few days ago to see if he could drop by our Parramatta outreach last night.

He was in town to attend a funeral + arrived last night on his way back up the coast with a bag of @NZWarriors kit for our homeless friends.

Good kid this one.@ReadingThePlay pic.twitter.com/F8nFSd9YED

— Chris Vagg (@vaggchris) March 24, 2021

The post immediately drew praise for Egan, as well as the club itself, with many noting the sacrifices it has made to take part in the competition over the last 12 months.

Since March 2020, the team has been marooned in Australia because of Covid-19 travel restrictions. Their 2021 campaign won't return to Mt Smart Stadium until June 21 at earliest, having played all their games in Australia in 2020.

"Those warriors boys are all class. What they have done to support the game in the last 12 months is under appreciated. Next season, every team should give up their home game and play in NZ!" Jason Newman posted in reply to Vagg's post.

"No surprises there guys, this bloke and the rest of his club have been an inspiration to not only Aotearoa and the greater Pacific but also Australia," Manu Takuira wrote.

"Great stuff Wade and the Warriors.The NRL need to back this club all the way they're made of the right stuff,"Paul Kneeshaw remarked.

It's not the first act of kindness that's made the press over the past week. Addin Fonua-Blake and Ben Murdoch-Masila were spotted roadside at Tuggerah, on the New South Wales Central Coast, helping an elderly woman replace a flat tyre in the rain.

The club will no doubt be hoping all this fabulous publicity will lead to increased sympathy and support for chief executive Cameron George's proposal to play the vast majority of the side's 2022 matches on New Zealand soil.