A moving tribute to the late Sean Wainui marked the start of Ireland’s tour of New Zealand.
Wainui was honored before the Māori All Blacks and Ireland fought in the first of two matches in Hamilton on Wednesday night.
Irish captain Bundee Aki laid out an Irish jersey with the number 11 on the back as a tribute to Wainui, before the team played 10 games for an exciting haka.
Wainui died in a single-vehicle accident near Tauranga last October at the age of 25, leaving behind his wife Paige and children Kawariki and Arahia.
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They were at the FMG Stadium on Wednesday for the tribute, walked to the park and picked up the gifted jersey while the Māori All Blacks held their haka formation.
Wainui became prominent when he played for the 2015 World Cup winner New Zealand u.20s in Italy.
Later that year, he joined the Māori All Blacks for the first time, earning 10 caps over six years and scoring two tries.
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Ireland captain Bundee Aki hands over an Ireland jersey to the family of the late Sean Wainui ahead of the game against the Māori All Blacks in Hamilton.
I played 53 provincial games for Taranaki, and 44 games for the Chiefs, after getting his first blow at Superrugby with the Crusaders.
Former Taranaki coach Colin Cooper was among many who paid tribute to him after his death, saying “he was great for rugby and for Māoridom.”
Wainui wrote himself into the record books last June when he became the first player in Superrugby to score five tries in a game, helping the Chiefs beat the Waratahs 40-7 in their Trans-Tasman season.
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The late Sean Wainui’s wife, Paige, center, and children Arahia, left, and Kawariki were on hand at the FMG Stadium in Hamilton for the tribute that Ireland and the Māori All Blacks performed for Wainui.
Māori All Blacks coach Clayton McMillan said shortly after his death that Wainui was an incredibly talented individual and had a large amount of mana among his teammates and the wider rugby community.
“I described everything you can ask for in a player. “He will be remembered as a passionate, hardworking, proud Māori who was an exceptional player, but more importantly father and husband,” said McMillan.
“He was an influential member of the teams of which he was a part, and his presence will be missed. Our deepest condolences to Paige, Kawariki and Arahia and their wider whānau in this difficult time. We offer them our full support together with our players and staff. ”
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Sean Wainui played for the Chiefs during last year’s Super Rugby competition.