The Otago Daily Times reported yesterday how Joel Malcolm-Smith saved his pocket money for the Gilbert ball, only to lose it when a man, walking with spectators along Anzac Ave after the game, asked the 11-year-old to throw him the ball.
The man said he would pass it straight back, but instead laughingly "hoofed it into the crowd", Joel said.
Joel's father, Philip Smith, said yesterday ODT reader Dick Griffiths, of Dunedin, offered to give Joel his prized collectable rugby ball, signed by 1995 Rugby World Cup All Blacks captain Sean Fitzpatrick and his team.
"He'll be thrilled and it'll make him a lot happier," Mr Smith said. The ball would be kept as a memento and not kicked around, he said.
"The Rugby World Cup organisers also offered him a ball he can play with, through Destination Queenstown, so he's ended up very lucky."
Meanwhile, 15 listeners in Auckland called to offer Joel replacement balls when Radio Hauraki picked up the ODT article yesterday.
