New Zealand rugby has been left reeling following the tragic news that Māori All Black and Chiefs winger Sean Wainui was killed in a car crash earlier on Monday.
Aged just 25, Wainui had been in peak form for both province and the Māori XV, and his loss will be felt right across the rugby community, but particularly with his team-mates, friends and family.
A proud Māori who often led the classic Timatanga haka, Wainui was a hugely popular figure in New Zealand rugby. Moreover, he was a family man and is survived by his wife Paige and their two-year-old son and his stepdaughter.
Last year, a video surfaced on social media which gave a little insight into just how important his Māori heritage and family was to him as he taught his son how to perform the haka.
Don’t know how I missed this. This made my day. Teach them young. pic.twitter.com/67HL7HdfcQ
— Dan Carter (@DanCarter) June 27, 2020
Wainui’s loss will continue to rock New Zealand rugby for the foreseeable future. His prowess in the loose was second to none and he was a mainstay in Warren Gatland’s Chiefs side.
Proof of his talent around the park was his five tries scored against the Waratahs in the summer, a record in Super Rugby.
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