Charlie Line was just 14 when he boldly jumped from the stands of Twickenham Stadium to storm the field after the All Blacks had just won their second consecutive Rugby World Cup.
A decade on, he looks back on that night as the one that “completely changed” his life.
Two months post-ACL reconstruction, Line leaped over the railings after fulltime on October 31, 2015 and was instantly caught by a security guard protecting the historic field. But the determined 14-year-old broke free of his grasp and was tackled at the feet of Sonny Bill Williams.
Instead of ignoring him, the 58-test All Black picked him up, gave him his winner’s medal and the rest, as they say, is history.
Almost 10 years later, the pair have developed the most unlikely of friendships – staying at each other’s homes, and the two-time Rugby World Cup winner’s children even refer to him as “uncle”.
Now, the historic medal is set to be auctioned off.
Reflecting on that Saturday night in London, the Dubai-based 24-year-old told the Herald he wasn’t supposed to be going to the game, but after his father – who is a pilot – was called to work, he took his place and went with his uncle.
“We were very lucky. We had quite good tickets and walked down to the front at the end of the game when the players were walking around.”
Line said he had been to a few games throughout the tournament and told his family he wanted to storm the field.
“As they were walking around, because of how many press officers there were, we thought, ‘Okay, now I’ve got a gap’.”
Line said he was caught almost instantly, but because of how small he was at the time, the security guard escorting him back to the stands didn’t keep hold of him – so he tried again.
“I turn around, run back on and then yeah, get tackled by security. I was only two-months post ACL reconstruction, so that was my first worry.
“By luck, I land at Sonny’s feet after the tackle and he picks me up ... and gives me his medal, incredibly generously.”
He said the security went from saying they would arrest him to giving him protection when walking out of Twickenham Stadium over fears other fans would snatch the much-desired bit of gold.
“We’re walking out and people are just throwing five-figure numbers at us – £20,000, £30,000 for the medal – and I obviously had no intention of selling it.”
The following morning, Line made contact with Williams through a friend of a friend to thank him and offer the medal back.
“I know he already had one in 2011, but Sonny’s worked his whole life for this medal. We thought, ‘Okay, we’ve got to give it back. He might regret that he doesn’t have it; he’s got young kids’.”
Instead, Williams doubled down on the offer, saying it meant more to the young fan and that he had the memories of winning the final – and proceeded to invite him to the team’s hotel to meet again.
My brother Charlie ❤️❤️ https://t.co/yT533MWVWx
— Sonny Bill Williams (@SonnyBWilliams) March 23, 2021
“For a 14-year-old diehard sports fan, it was just crazy, and those were the couple days I wasn’t allowed back to school because there were too many press ... It was a whirlwind couple of weeks.”
A decade on, Line says he’s not only remained in close contact with Williams, but the pair have stayed together on various trips around the world – including the 24-year-old’s family home in Dubai and Williams’ home during the 2017 British & Irish Lions tour of New Zealand.
“We stay really close. Whatever people say, he’s the nicest man in the world ... He cares about his family, about his religion and helping other people.”
He says Williams’ children even refer to him as “uncle” now.
“My parents, when I was a bit younger, loved me being around him because he’s such a good influence.”
He’s reminded of that night weekly for a couple of reasons. First, he said, because a video of the moment resurfaces every few days on social media, and again every time he looks at the medal in his home – which he had framed for protection.
But Line says he and Williams plan to put the medal up for auction and donate the proceeds to charity – revealing his dream would be to do it at the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
The charity the pair are closest with is called Bhubesi Pride Foundation (BPF), based in Malawi, which empowers disadvantaged children in Africa through sport, education and leadership.
“They built a community centre with a big rugby pitch that brings kids aged 6 to 18 in. They play a couple of hours of rugby a day where they learn obviously all the values of rugby and sport, but then afterwards, girls and boys get a class on how to make reusable sanitary pads, how to start a business, sexual-health reproductive rights and then they’ll get a meal,” Line said.
About 200 children visit the centre a day, with some walking up to 15km to go and play rugby and learn.
“As amazing as the medal is, as much as people love seeing it, if I can get some money for it that goes to helping a thousand kids in Malawai or wherever it is ... that would be the perfect next step, we feel.
“What’s come from it [the medal] is much more. It’s the friendship, the relationship I have with him, with his family, with everyone he’s close to. I’ll always have the memories of the medal and every time Sonny and I see each other, we’ll laugh about the medal.”
As for that night a decade ago, Line says he’ll always remember it as “one of the best nights of my life”.
“It completely changed my life.
“I’ll always be able to tell the story of the night to my grandkids, but to say how much he’s changed my life since then and being able to go to his kids’ sports days and go watch him in a boxing fight and travel around to places I didn’t think I’d ever see with him is an incredible thing that no one would have foreseen on the 31st of October, 2015.”
Benjamin Plummer is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers sport and breaking news. He has worked for the Herald since 2022.