Sports stars and their bundles of joy

As we saw with Dame Valerie Adams' pregnancy news at the weekend, the Kiwi populace is a sucker for babies born to the nation’s sporting heroes.

So while Dame Val counts down the months until her baby's October due date, we assemble a list of sporting comrades who have recently welcomed their own little bundles of joy.

Kieran Read

All Black captain Kieran Read and his wife, Bridget, became proud parents for a third time in January, with the arrival of their son, Reuben.

The family, which includes Reuben's big sisters, Elle (5) and Eden (4), featured in Woman's Day last month, with the All Black forward beaming out from the magazine's cover, cheek-to-cheek with his baby boy.

Cue swooning.

Talking to the magazine about Reuben’s birth, Read said: "That was such an awesome moment. I cut the cord. It was such a massive rush to see we had a son. We knew we were having a boy, but that moment was 100% proof we had a son. It was a really proud moment for me, standing there with my boy and my wife. I was so stoked for her – she did all the work!"

And it's not work that Read's wife is keen to do again. As stoked as the family is with the new addition, the Reads are adamant Reuben is their last baby.

"Each child's head has got bigger by a centimetre each time and they've weighed progressively more," Bridget told Woman's Day. "We’re not going to keep testing the theory."

Joseph Parker

Joseph Parker might be the WBO heavyweight champion, but we imagine his sweet baby girl has the boxing star wrapped around her little finger.

Parker and Laine Tavita welcomed their daughter Elizabeth in November last year, one month before Parker’s big title bout against Andy Ruiz Jr.

Training commitments overseas meant Parker missed the birth of his wee girl, but he got to meet her soon after, telling media his daughter was a "blessing".

Ali Williams

Former All Black Ali Williams is destined to spend his days surrounded by beautiful women after his wife Casey Green gave birth to their second daughter late last year.

Claudia Alexandra, a little sister to four-year-old Jessica, was born in a London hospital in September.

While the family is currently living in Paris, Green recently told Spy they are planning to move back to New Zealand later this year, following Williams' conviction for buying cocaine outside a nightclub on the Champs-Elysees.

"Good things come from adversity and I'm thrilled to be bringing my family home and to get back into my fitness and nutritional work," Green said. "By the time we land, it would've been four years living abroad. We left on a nine-month contract. It has been an unforgettable adventure as a family, but it's time to come home."

Victor Vito

Around the same time Ali Williams was celebrating the arrival of his second baby girl, his former All Blacks teammate, Victor Vito, was welcoming a second son to his own family.

Little Cruz Angelo gave his family a fright, arriving a few weeks ahead of schedule, but all went well for the Vitos who had only recently relocated to France at the time.

Side note: How amazing does Vito's wife Amber look in that hospital room having just met her newest boy after a scarily fast birth experience?

Casey Kopua

It's been nearly a year since former Silver Ferns captain Casey Kopua gave birth to her and husband Terry's first baby, a girl named Maia.

And while Kopua may be back on the court for her Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic side this season, she recently announced she is retiring from international netball duty in order to focus on her daughter.

"Once I had Maia that puts your whole life into perspective of what's important and what you want to do, so it definitely made us think about it and I feel it is the right decision for our family," she said.

And who can blame her for wanting to spend more time with this sweet face?

Sonny Bill Williams

He might be a fierce competitor on the sports field, but Sonny Bill Williams is a big softie when it comes to his girls.

Williams and his wife Alana celebrated the arrival of a second daughter, Aisha, in December - a little sister for Imaan, who was born in 2014.

Williams announced Aisha's arrival via his Twitter account, revealing some first fraught hours.

“Aisha Williams, our gift from the most high came into this world struggling, but alhamdulillah after a long night she's improving," he said at the time.

Ben Smith

All Black and Highlanders star Ben Smith has also recently celebrated the arrival of a second child, with his wife Katie Menzies giving birth to a boy in March.

The fantastically-named Walter, a little brother for Annabelle, made his Instagram debut with his pleased-as-punch Dad.

Israel Dagg

Yet another All Black has recently become a dad, with the arrival of Israel Dagg's first son, Arlo Henry, in April.

Both Dagg and wife Daisy have been careful not to publicly share any photos of their bundle of joy's no-doubt-adorably-squishy-face yet, presumably in protection of an upcoming magazine deal. (The couple's wedding and pregnancy announcement have both already featured in magazine spreads.)

So, for now, we'll have to make do with a photo of wee Arlo's feet.

Squee!

This article was first published on Spy and is republished here with permission.