Weet-Bix makes boy’s rugby dream a reality

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Weet-Bix makes boy’s rugby dream a reality

It was like something out of the dreams of Kiwi boys everywhere, but for 10-year-old Auckland boy Bailey Paki waking up to find a group of All Blacks at his breakfast table became a reality, thanks to Weet-Bix and New Zealand Rugby.

In a classic hidden camera clip, rugby-mad Bailey is stunned to wake up and find All Blacks captain Richie McCaw and his All Blacks teammates Ben Franks, Wyatt Crockett, Tom Taylor and Frank Halai eating Weet-Bix at his breakfast table!

The amazed youngster, who plays under 12 championship grade club rugby, shares breakfast with the players before his heroes take him into his backyard, which overnight has been secretly transformed into a rugby pitch by Bailey’s grandfather, James Watt and his local Bombay community. He then leads some of his rugby teammates in a backyard match against the All Blacks.

While many New Zealand boys dream of one day playing for the All Blacks, this talented boy has already mapped out his ascension to the All Blacks and World Cup fame in a highly detailed 16-year plan. What’s more, so far Bailey is on-track to achieving his dreams.

The Weet-Bix Dream Day has inspired Bailey even more to achieve his goals. “I was really shocked to see them at my table, I really wasn’t expecting it. I saw them and my heart started racing and my adrenaline started pumping. I freaked out that they were in my house but after talking them, I realised they are just really awesome,” says Bailey.

“They talked to me about my goals and were impressed with my plans. They just told me to not let anything interfere with my dreams, and that if I don’t achieve one thing, then to just keep trying for the next goal.”

Bailey says his friends, who also got to meet and play rugby with the All Blacks, felt the same heart-pumping adrenaline as he did. “I could see in their eyes that they were just as excited as I was. I don’t know how long we played rugby for because I was having too much fun!”

New Zealand Rugby Chief Executive Steve Tew said it was great to see the Weet-Bix and New Zealand Rugby partnership continue to deliver quality All Blacks-moments to grassroots rugby.

“We know thousands of Kiwi kids dream of becoming an All Black, so it’s fantastic to see one great kid’s dream come alive in this touching moment. We were really happy to play our part in capturing, in this clever way, the extraordinary appeal of the All Blacks, so thanks Sanitarium.”

Pierre van Heerden, General Manager of Sanitarium Health and Wellbeing New Zealand was thrilled they could make a dream come true for such a deserving young boy.

“While Kiwi kids are Weet-Bix kids, they’re also rugby mad, so it’s fitting that we could make Bailey’s dream come true. Playing with the All Blacks, and scoring that brilliant try against them, will be something Bailey remembers forever and we hope it gives him some extra encouragement in his goal to becoming an All Black in 2025. Weet-Bix has a long-standing relationship with New Zealand Rugby and is The Official Breakfast of the All Blacks so it’s fantastic we can work together to make dreams come true.”

Bailey’s Dream Day was created and captured on camera earlier this year by Weet-Bix – the official breakfast of the All Blacks – and New Zealand Rugby when they teamed up to make a dream come true.

Bailey’s Dream Day can be found here

ENDS

More about Bailey:

Bailey has been playing rugby for five years. In his first year he was the top performing Under 6 player at Ponsonby and every year since he has excelled at each grade.

In 2011, eight-year-old Bailey set himself a series of goals. His plans has now become famous among friends and family as ‘Bailey’s 16-year plan’. The plan, which details what he wants to achieve in the next 16 years, culminates in him winning the Rugby World Cup as an All Black.

Along the way, he has planned his rise through club rugby, the IRB Junior World Championship, Super Rugby and the Māori All Blacks. In 2020 he aims to be accepted into medical school which he will complete in 2027; the same year he plans to win the Rugby World Cup. He also hopes to play in the All Blacks Sevens team at the Olympics in 2024.

Bailey is also a New Zealand module grade qualified referee for New Zealand Touch and has refereed grade one module games.

Bailey currently plays a grade above his age group level and his next immediate goals include trialling for Walter Dickson representative rugby and getting a financial scholarship to a top rugby high school in year 9.

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