Williams converted to Islam in 2009 while playing rugby for French club Toulon.

It came after a "wild" period early in his career where he found himself in the headlines for the wrong reasons and eventually walked out on his contract with NRL club Canterbury Bulldogs Read more

They can now put aside differences including religion and speaking openly about personal struggles is the norm,

"I think the cool thing in the last 12 months is a lot of boys in the team are real, speak their mind, but it's not always just the picture-perfect things. We talk about the hardships that we face and overcome," Williams said.

"Obviously for me, I'm a Muslim, Jack Goodhue is a Christian, some boys don't believe in faith, we all put these differences aside for the betterment of the individual."

Williams felt that the current state of affairs made the team stronger.

"I think that's the cool thing that we have in the All Blacks at the moment," he said.

"For myself, it has probably evolved, you know I've been in this team, in and out, for ten years and I don't know if I could have had the conversations that I probably had today with a couple of the boys ten years ago.

Williams also spoke about how important his faith was in his preparation.

"I'm a religious man, and I believe all my blessings come from the creator," he said. "I try and live and move in a way where I create space for people to come into my light, and I try to affect people in a positive way."

Auckland University's Caleb Marsters and Dr Jermaima Tiatia-Seath have conducted a study into young Pacific Island players and their mental health.

The study shows that shows religion is a crucial factor in the wellbeing of young Pacific men.

Source

• tvnz.co.nz
• stuff.co.nz
• stuff.co.nz
• Image: theguardian.com

He spoke about what the religion means to him, how he has struggled with acceptance in society, the toll the Christchurch attack has taken on his family and how special it was to have his mum Lee accept the Islamic faith alongside him. Read more

The had the meal just after the sunset at 5.10pm.

As a practising Muslim observing Ramadan, which coincidentally finished on Saturday evening, he feels the fasting process is beneficial to his mind and body as well as his spiritual well-being.

Muslims do not eat during the hours of daylight during Ramadan.

After being named in the Blues team to play the Lions, Williams said he found the fasting easiest.

"It's just when I have to train. Getting through the field-based footy is easy, and I just push back the weights until I break fast."

The fact that Ramadan occurs in the winter in New Zealand means the hours of daylight are not as long as they are in the northern hemisphere.

"But thank God in New Zealand, in this part of the world, we only fast nine hours a day - 10 hours max. In Europe and some parts of the world it's 16-18 hours. That's pretty tough.' says Williams.

"The first week is the toughest, but after that the body starts to get used to it. I just try and do the best I can."

Williams showed no ill effects of not eating or drinking anything during daylight hours when he played on in the test on Saturday or when his Blues team upset the Lions in their second tour match two weeks ago.

The former league player, has been a sometimes controversial figure for his single-mindedness and willingness to forge his own path in life.

Source

• nzherald.co.nz
• nzherald.co.nz
• dailytelegraph.com.au
• Image: radionz.co.nz

Hijama has been around for millennia. It was recommended by the Prophet Muhammad.

Williams left the field just before halftime in the Blues Super Rugby match against the Waratahs in Sydney on Saturday night for a head injury assessment, and never returned.

"The doctors did a great job, I passed the test at halftime but they said because I still felt a bit foggy it was better for me to sit down," said Williams.

Williams underwent hijama after the 2015 Rugby World Cup final and it is believed to help alleviate aches and pains.

The technique, which some describe as form of acupuncture, is done by lighting flammable liquid in a glass cup.

The flame burns away the oxygen in the cup, which creates a vacuum. Once the flame goes out, the vacuum creates suction which sticks the cup to the body.

Along with the drop in temperature, this sucks the skin away from the body and draws blood to the surface.

The red spots, which typically last for three or four days, are caused by ruptured capillaries beneath the skin.

Hijama shot to prominence in 2004, when actor Gwyneth Paltrow attended a film premier with the tell-tale circular marks on her skin.

At the Rio Olympics a number of the athletes used hijama.

US swimmer Michael Phelps's skin showed the circular welts that are produced by the treatment, as did that of his his compatriot, the gymnast Alex Naddour.

Practitioners of Hijama, say it is "used to remove harmful blood and toxins from the body.'

"The toxic blood is taken out of circulation, by making small incisions on the skin and extracting it using a vacuum pump."

An Auckland practitioner of Hijama Mohammad Almasri says, "Hijama therapy is part of prophetic medicine (Sunnah Medicine), and is capable of treating a wide range of diseases and physical issues."

Source

• stuff.co.nz
• www.independent.co.uk
• hijamaclinic.co.nz
• bbc.com
• Image: twitter.com/SonnyBWilliams

It was a move that made world-wide headlines and it was not received well by all.

It even merited a comment from the prime minister of New Zealand, Bill English, "It is hard to understand that one guy has to behave differently than the rest," he said.

Williams said his objection to wearing clothing that markets banks is central to his religious beliefs.

In many cultures it is not unusual to see people in the public eye giving some expression to their religious conviction. Players can be seen making the sign of the cross, or pointing up to heaven after they have scored.

Teams gather for prematch prayer sessions and even attend church services together.

But in New Zealand such displays of religious conviction are rare. New Zealanders of European decent tend to be more circumspect.

"Religion is normally considered a private matter in New Zealand. We don't expect politicians, celebrities or sports stars to make heartfelt public declarations of their beliefs as they do in the United States, " writes Philip Matthews.

Matthews goes on to say that there is an exception to the rule:

" If we have an unofficial national faith, it is a tolerant and pragmatic agnosticism. Except if the religion is Islam, when it is assumed we all need to know."

"Recent scandals involving sex, drugs and alcohol have prompted another round of soul-searching," says Matthews.

" By comparison, the strong moral position taken by Williams, clearly based on personal faith, can only be considered a good news story for rugby."

"And no matter which side you are on, or who you worship, Williams' decision to replace the BNZ logo with Plunket was a public relations masterstroke."

Source

• stuff.co.nz
• stuff.co.nz
• Image: resources.stuff.co.nz

In an article in the UK Daily Mail, Williams admitted to having to fit his Islamic diet and prayer around an intensive rugby schedule.

"When I'm most happy is when I'm doing my prayers," he said.

"When you travel you can compensate by joining the two afternoon prayers and the two evening prayers together, which is pretty sweet."

"How can you not spare 25 minutes of your day to give thanks?

"I look at where I came from and feel blessed."

Williams recounted how he grew up in a humble two bedroom house in Mt Albert in Auckland, which he shared with three siblings and his parents.

He admitted to being "a bit of a scallywag" in his early sports career

"I did a lot of bad things and went off course, but Allah was with me."

In his current professional sports career, Williams sticks to his Islamic dietary regime.

"The chefs provide halal food. I get kind of embarrassed when they make a big deal out of it.

"I just want to fit in and be one of the boys, but at the same time faith is where everything comes from.

"If there's no halal meat, I can eat seafood. If there's no seafood, I'll just have a shake or something. There are people worse off than I am."

Williams visited Syrian refugees in Lebanon last year, as a guest of UNICEF.

He said more sports-people should use their profile to raise awareness of injustice.

The dual international said he used to be a Christian, but converting to Islam "has given me contentment and happiness that I don't know how to explain".

"I used to be a stress head, annoyed if I dropped a ball in training. . . . Islam is a way of life.

"Before, if I went out drinking or partying, I would be searching for something the next day with a hangover, getting eaten up inside."

Sources

• New Zealand Herald (Daily Mail)
• Image: Stuff.co.nz

One of his closest friends, Australian boxer Anthony Mundine, a fellow Muslim, says a huge part of the change he has undergone is down his conversion to Islam.

During the Rugby World Cup Sonny Bill

• Gave away his medal to a 14 year old boy.
• Mingling with opposing players' families after pool games
• Gave semifinal tickets to Syrian refugees
• Consoled Springbok Jessie Kriel following that match

Mundine believes the pillars of the Muslim religion have helped bring out the best in Sonny Bill.

"I know from a hands on point of view because it had the same affect on me when I reverted back to Islam and chose to learn the fundamentals of it," he said.

"If you really delve deep into Islam you'll see you have to be pious, you have to be humble, you have to be generous to your fellow human beings."

"He had those qualities anyway but it (Islam) just reinforces those qualities."

Everyone's quick to judge when somebody's in the spotlight," Mundine said of Williams' past indiscretions. "He went through times when he was young and made bad mistakes but who doesn't?

"But then he changed his life around and found Islam ... and it's been nothing but serenity for him now."

It was during his time in the south of France when Sonny Bill Williams converted to Islam. In an interview with CNN in 2013, the dual international revealed how becoming a "true Muslim" gave him happiness.

"It's made me become content as a man, and helped me to grow," he told the American news channel. "I've just got faith in it and it has definitely helped me become the man I am today."

Source

• stuff.co.nz
• Image: radionz.co.nz

He says his Muslim Faith has helped him to become the man he is today.

He grew up a Christian but meeting a Tunisian family who lived with their five children in a one-bedroom flat in the south of France led to to his conversion to Islam.

On CNN's Human to Hero series. he said, "I was real close with them, and I saw how happy and content they were. And to see how they lived their lives, it was just simple,"

"I've become a true Muslim," added Williams. "It's giving me happiness. It's made me become content as a man, and helped me to grow. I've just got faith in it and it has definitely helped me become the man I am today."

Source

• CNN
• Image: ResourcesOnews.com.au

In February, Deaker declared on Sky TV that he did not like Williams: "He is a Muslim, in a so-called Christian country, and that makes me uncomfortable."

Sky will not release the Deaker on Sport episode in which the remark was made without his permission.

Dion Nash who was on the panel when Deaker made his comment said he believed Deaker "got carried away with the moment".

"What he said was he couldn't understand, he was struggling to understand where Sonny Bill Williams was coming from, and then he listed a whole lot of things ... one of the things was he was a Muslim living in a Christian country."

Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand president Anwar Ghani said Sky and Deaker should release the programme as he would like to see it.

"It is very sad to hear somebody of his intellect can make such a comment. It is a bit unprofessional."

Last year Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand senior vice-president Javed Khan said he was unhappy that an All Black was not listed among the world's 500 most influential Muslims: "Sonny Bill Williams is probably the most famous Muslim in New Zealand and, in a Rugby World Cup year, has brought the faith to prominence. I think the only reason he was not included in the list is because these people are not aware of the existence of New Zealand's Muslim superstar and we'll be writing to them to make sure he's there next year."

Source

• Stuff.co.nz
• Taranaki Daily News
• New Zealand Herald
• Image: The Telegraph

Senior Islamic figures say people are seeking them out for insights into the All Black's preparations for the Rugby World Cup.