• Sonny Bill Williams has become a father once again with wife Alana Raffie.
• Baby boy Mohammed Williams is the couple’s fifth child together.
• The news was kept secret from his online followers and announced on the sports star’s social media on Friday.

Former All Black Sonny Bill Williams has welcomed his fifth child with his wife Alana Raffie.

Williams kept the news a secret from his online followers until Friday when he announced it via an Instagram reel posted in collab with his wife’s account @lanamarieewilli. The video has now been viewed more than half a million times.

The 38-year-old revealed his new son’s name in the footage and the caption, writing “Mohammed Williams” along with the blue heart and open hands emojis.

The post’s cover image shows a still of Williams, who is a devout Muslim, holding his new baby son with the text “Alhamdulillah” – meaning “praise be to God” – overlaid. The clip shows key moments of pregnancy, starting with when Williams and his wife broke the news to their four children, Zaid, Essa, Imaan and Aisha, that they were expecting another baby.

“Is Mummy pregnant?” Imaan, the couple’s oldest child, asked his parents.

Next in the video, Williams announces the pregnancy to his fans, saying, “some would say we are suckers for punishment”. It goes on to show the parents speculating the sex of the child, and vulnerable moments waiting at the hospital.

The footage ends with Williams glowing as he holds his new baby who was born on July 17. “Four kilos. Healthy boy and healthy mum,” he beamed.

“May Allah bless and raise Mohammed to be a strong, righteous man.”

The news comes three months after an Australian radio host delivered a tirade about the cross-code star over his social media posts.

2GB’s Ray Hadley said he was “embarrassed” to be employed by the same company as the international boxer, who works for Nine Entertainment as a commentator for Stan Sports in Australia. Nine also is the owner of 2GB.

Williams’ social media posts about the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza prompted Hadley to unload on his radio show. It is unclear exactly which post prompted the attack but Williams has made no secret of his support for Palestine.