PRINCE WILLIAM WINDED BY WAYWARD RUGBY BALL

PRINCE WILLIAM, WHO RECENTLY EMBARKED ON HIS FIRST FOREIGN TOUR REPRESENTING THE QUEEN, WAS GIVEN AN INSIGHT INTO SOME OF NEW ZEALAND'S GREATEST SPORTING PASSIONS, RUGBY AND SAILING. HOWEVER, HE ALMOST RECEIVED A PAINFUL LESSON BY IGNORING THE OLD ADAGE: NEVER WORK WITH ANIMALS OR CHILDREN. WHILE SHOWING OFF HIS BALL HANDLING SKILLS WITH A GROUP OF PROMISING UNDER-TENS AT THE PAKURANGA CLUB IN AUCKLAND, ONE YOUNGSTER THREW A BALL HARD AND LOW TOWARDS HIS GROIN AREA FROM JUST FIVE YARDS AWAY. THE PRINCE PARRIED THE BALL WITH HIS HANDS, GAVE A LOUD GASP AND HAMMED IT UP THAT HE HAD JUST BEEN WINDED, OR EVEN HIT SOMEWHERE MORE PAINFUL "DOWN UNDER". IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE BOY WHO THREW THE BALL WAS CALLED RYAN WALLACE. 'HE GOT HIM IN THE CROWN JEWELS", JOKED ONE OF HIS YOUNG TEAM-MATES. THE YOUNG PRINCE SHOWED NO ILL EFFECTS FROM THE MISTIMED CATCH THAT LEFT THE SCHOOLBOYS LAUGHING. THE YOUNGSTERS HAD BEEN PLAYING MINI RUGBY AT THE STADIUM WHICH WILL BE THE MAIN SPORTING VENUE FOR THE 2011 RUGBY WORLD CUP BEING HOSTED BY NEW ZEALAND NEXT YEAR. THE PRINCE IS ON HIS FIRST SOLO OVERSEAS TOUR. THE START OF THE THREE-DAY VISIT HAS BEEN MARKED BY ITS RELAXED ATMOSPHERE AND LACK OF FORMALITY. ASKED ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF FILLING IN FOR THE QUEEN, HE RELIED; 'IT MEANS AN AWFUL LOT BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY SHE'S EXTREMELY BUSY AND I WANT TO BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING GOOD AND KEEPS THE STANDARDS UP THAT SHE'S LED THE WAY WITH.' ON WHETHER THIS WOULD BE THE FIRST TOUR OF MANY, PRINCE WILLIAM SAID: 'WE'LL WAIT AND SEE, I WOULDN'T GET TO CARRIED AWAY. I'VE STILL GOT A LOT OF TRAINING TO DO AND I NEED THE TRAINING, BELIEVE ME.'