Flavell with Kearns after the game.
Josha Flavell from Franz Joseph epitomises what make a great sports fan.
He was up at 2.30am last Sunday to catch a 7.30am flight to Hamilton, then collected a rental car to get to Te Kūiti.
Then he stepped into the King Country clubrooms carrying a gift of whitebait taken from Lake Paringa in south Westland.
And after the match he celebrated, despite defeat.
“One thing Coasters can take away after the loss is Jaime Kearns got his first cap for Coast after battling away on the club scene for 15 years,” he wrote in a message to Sky rugby commentator Nigel Yalden.
Kearns – born on New Year’s Day 1990 and a member of the Kiwi Rugby Club in Hokitika, now has his name listed on the rugby databases after coming off the bench.
The Kiwi club social media page saw Dale Green also acknowledge Coast’s effort in defeat.
“That’s honestly the best game of rugby I’ve watched this year. Being that close hurts – though what an effort all round..”
And Flavell’s final note to Yalden?
“… a tad jaded, just landed in Christchurch.”
