Tributes have poured in following the news that former Maori All Black and Super Rugby star Sean Wainui has died in a car crash on Monday morning, aged just 25.
Police were informed of an incident in Omanawa, near Tauranga, in the early hours of the morning, when Wainui was confirmed as a the sole occupant of a car that had crashed into a tree, Mirror UK reports.
Wainui, a former New Zealand under-20, formerly played provincial rugby for Taranaki before earning his Super Rugby debut with the Crusaders.
He went on to accumulate 44 appearances for the Chiefs in Waikato and debuted for Bay of Plenty this year, having also earned 10 caps for the Maori All Blacks.
Former Bay of Plenty head coach Clayton McMillan hailed Wainui as both a player and a person, praising the influence he had within his teams.
“Sean was an incredibly talented individual and held a great amount of mana among his fellow teammates and the wider rugby community,” McMillan said.
“He epitomised everything you could possibly ask for in a player. He will be remembered for being a passionate, hard-working, proud Maori who was an exceptional player but more importantly father and husband.”
Wainui is survived by his wife, Paige, his two-year-old son Kawariki, 2, and step-daughter Arahia.
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