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Owen Farrell gives boots to young pitch invader after Lions defeat

Owen Farrell gives boots to young pitch invader after Lions defeat

Telegraph02-08-2025
Owen Farrell picked up his Lions series-winning medal in his socks – after giving his boots to a child who had run onto the pitch in Sydney.
The former England captain came on just before half-time as a replacement for Tommy Freeman, playing the remainder of the game as Australia beat the Lions 22-12 to end the tourists' hopes of a series whitewash.
The game was interrupted by a 30-minute break due to a lightning storm in the area, with a number of fans invading the pitch in the interval before being tackled by security.
And that continued after the match, with a number of supporters running on to greet the players. One of those was a child who was led away by security, only for Farrell to run after them to give the youngster his boots. The 33-year-old then joined the celebrations in his socks, joining the squad in lifting the trophy and then celebrating with supporters.
The incident brought to mind Sonny Bill Williams giving his World Cup-winning medal away to English schoolboy Charlie Line at Twickenham in 2015. In that case, a Twickenham steward had chased and tackled Line before Williams intervened, giving the youngster the medal he had just received for his part in the victory over Australia.
Williams later said: 'Why not try and make a young fella's night? Hopefully, he'll remember it for a while. I know he will appreciate it, and when he gets older he will be telling kids. That is more special than it just hanging on a wall.'
Farrell seemed not to follow suit when it came to his medal, which remained firmly around his neck for the duration. But his boots will likely remain a treasured possession of the youngster after his selfless gesture at the Olympic Stadium in Sydney.
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