Jerry Collins baby: Ayla in 'precarious' condition

Jerry Collins with his daughter Ayla, just hours before the tragic accident. Photo / Zebulon Noguera

Jerry Collins' family is in limbo, waiting to hear whether the rugby star's baby will pull through.

Collins and his partner Alana Madill died in a car crash on a motorway near Beziers in southern France on Friday. Their four-month-old daughter, Ayla, was critically injured in the crash, with Collins' agent describing her condition as "precarious".

Tim Castle said there had been no change in Ayla's condition overnight.

"It's fair to say without wanting to be dramatic, in fact quite the contrary, that it is precarious. It's very serious. To the extent that there's no change is an update of a sort."

Collins' family and friends have gone to Montpellier to be beside Ayla. Madill's sister, Brenna Smith, said in a recent post on social media that Ayla "is continuing to fight her battle but I'm encouraged by the smallest positive signs. Keep fighting, my little beauty".

Collins' cousin, Crystal, wrote: "Little Ayla, precious Ayla, fight little one because your Dad was one hell of a fighter. The outpouring of grief and sympathies is already so incredible, but please keep our little Ayla in your prayers."

Mr Castle said there was a lot of paperwork to get through before Collins' body could be repatriated.

He was avoiding any speculation on how long the lengthy formal process would take, Mr Castle said.

France-based All Blacks Neemia Tialata and Chris Masoe had dressed Collins for his journey home, he said.

"It was very comforting to the family. It's like the boys were their representatives with Jerry getting him ready for the journey home. It meant they could kind of reach out through them to their son.

"It brings them even closer to him, even though they would obviously like to be closer still."

No funeral arrangements could be finalised before the repatriation was organised, Mr Castle said.

The family would be taking the significant public interest into account with any decisions they made, he said.

"The family will of course do a number of things privately but they're very aware and very grateful for the support and sympathy and very public expressions of affection for their son.

"That's figuring in with their considerations."

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokeswoman said a New Zealand Embassy representative had travelled from Paris to Montpellier to facilitate the repatriation of Jerry Collins' body.

The ministry would not be providing any further information out of respect for the family's wish for privacy, she said.

NZME.