A mother's open letter to the sideline critics of her young rugby league-playing son has gone viral with thousands, including All Black Liam Messam, lending their support to her plea for parents to back off.
Clendon Park Rochelle Mara addressed "parents on the sideline" in her widely shared Facebook post over an incident that occurred when her 10-year-old son was playing for a junior team in Auckland.
"My boy. The one you so freely stood on the sideline this morning laughing at. The one you were talking about being a 'Big boy' and not 'an asset to the team'. The one you laughed at for not being able to run as fast as your kid. Obviously not realising I, his mother, was standing right next to you listening to everything you were saying - Until I told you. Ha!
"You couldn't move to the other side of the field fast enough."
At midday today the post had earned more than 130,000 likes, had been shared more than 9000 times and prompted 16,000 comments.
All Black Liam Messam posted the image on his Instagram account, telling his 157,000 followers that people "need to be there to support our kids not tear them down".
Ms Mara told her son's detractors he trained twice a week and turned up every weekend "to play alongside his TEAM, the same team your kid plays for!"
"[My son] is out there on that field supporting your son in the game just as I'm out on that sideline supporting them - your son included!"
Her son had never played the sport until four weeks ago, she wrote.
"[He's] doing a damn good job and I tell him this every week. He does not need to hear your negativity. He, nor any of the other boys/girls, need to hear you talking down about them, so please - for the love of Beyonce - stand there on that sideline along with the rest of us parents and support OUR boys and girls! ALL OF THEM. Win or lose.
"It's a game. They're all out there playing the best they can. Number 8 included."
Ms Mara wasn't available to comment this afternoon, but said she had been inundated with private messages in response to her post, including requests for interviews from media in New Zealand and overseas.
Many people shared their support in heartfelt messages online.
One wrote that children were encouraged to "get out there and have a go" and most of the time it was parents "that wreck it".
"Any child getting out there and having a go big or little is a star in my eyes."
Another wrote a plea for people to treat all children as they would their own.
"If we could just love each and every child is if they were your own, the world would be a better place."
Pukeiti-Mara has since said he is "feeling good about the rest of the season" after an international outpouring of support for his rugby league-playing enthusiasm.
"There's a lot of people supporting me and my team. It feels good," he told media.
By this evening the post had garnered more than 139,000 "reactions", more than 17,000 comments, and had been shared more than 10,000 times. It also gained support from celebrities, including All Black Liam Messam and choreographer to the stars Parris Goebel.
Mum Rochelle said she was inspired to pen the letter for "every other kid who goes out there and gives it a go, no matter their size".
"I just want other parents and supporters on the sidelines to be aware they might think they're talking amongst themselves, but our kids do hear these things - and it knocks back their confidence," she said.
"Everyone's entitled to say what they want to say, but they should do it somewhere else, do it at home or something, not in front of our kids."
It was the second time this year she had overheard parents making comments about her son, she said.
