A professional rugby player in New Zealand died Monday in a car crash, his team announced.
Sean Wainui, who played for the Maori All Blacks of the New Zealand Rugby Union, was 25.
“As a player we all saw what this young tane was capable of and the passion and talent that he brought to the teams he represented, but we also saw a role model for young Maori, a caring father who was passionate about his culture, his language, and his identity,” Farah Palmer, chair of the New Zealand Maori Rugby Board, said in a statement.
“He will be sorely missed,” Palmer said.
Wainui is survived by his wife, Paige, and their two kids, Kawariki and Arahia.
His team didn’t release specific details regarding the nature of the crash, only referencing an “early morning car accident” in its announcement Monday.
“Sean was an incredibly talented individual and held a great amount of mana among his fellow teammates and the wider rugby community,” Maori All Blacks head coach Clayton McMillan said in a statement.
“He epitomised (sic) everything you could possibly ask for in a player,” McMillan continued. “He will be remembered for being a passionate, hard-working, proud Maori who was an exceptional player but more importantly father and husband.”
Wainui was born in Whatatutu, a settlement on New Zealand’s North Island, and grew up in Auckland.
