Ball kids ready for action

A full stadium and a television audience of millions would be intimidating for most children, but for 147 ball boys and girls across the country it is the opportunity of a lifetime.

The ball kids, aged between 10 and 17, have been hand-picked for Rugby World Cup 2011 by the 12 provincial unions for their experience on the sidelines.

An additional 11 kids have also been selected from the Canterbury region to assist at other match venues.

The 18 ball kids selected for the Eden Park matches met together at the Auckland stadium on Sunday to receive their kit and a special briefing. They have all been selected from the nearby Eden Rugby Football Club, which has traditionally supplied ball kids to the ground.

Among the group was 10-year old Rosnia Alofi, the only ball girl appointed for Eden Park for RWC 2011. Following in the footsteps of her two older brothers, Rosnia has been a ball girl for several years already, working at club, provincial and international matches.  Older brother David, aged 15, will also be a ball boy at Eden Park.

Eight ball kids will work at each match and be responsible for retrieving and distributing balls.

And who gets the top job of sideline duty at the final? Well, like all great teams, form will determine who makes the final selection, so you can bet all the ball kids will be working hard at every match they run out for in the hope of earning a spot on the roster for the big match on 23 October.