Blues prop Mike Tamoaieta farewelled in Auckland following sudden death

Mike Tamoaieta, pictured in January 2018. Photo / Michael Bradley / Getty Images

To his siblings he was their "little sea lion", to his friends he was the one who wrapped them up in a "crunch hug", to his high school rugby coach he was the kid who "had everything" and to the partner and mother of his daughter, Blues prop Mike Tamoaieta was "our beautiful chocolate man".

Tamoaieta died suddenly a week ago, aged just 23, and today hundreds gathered at the Hope Centre non-denominational church in South Auckland to say goodbye.

Among the mourners was a who's who of Auckland and New Zealand rugby, including former All Blacks Sir Michael Jones, Ma'a Nonu, Tana Umaga and Leon MacDonald, who replaced Umaga as the Blues head coach last November.

Former All Blacks coach John Hart and New Zealand Rugby president Maurice Trapp, a former Auckland rugby coach, were also at the service.

Tamoaieta's coffin was carried into the church on the shoulders of several men as two mourners sang Amazing Grace on a stage adorned with framed Blues jerseys.

There were tears as speakers including Tamoaieta's sister, partner and mother remembered the man known to many as Mikey T.

But there was also laughter, none more so than when Tamoaieta's partner Helen Ti'eti'e spoke of one of the couple's first dates.

"He got the steak and when the waitress asked 'How would you like your steak?', he was confused by the question. He looked at her and said 'Can I have it on a plate'. I was so embarrassed, I just told them that he was joking."

Tamoaieta played 10 Super Rugby games for the Blues last year and was involved in the side's pre-season victories over the Chiefs and Hurricanes.

He had also been a Samoa under-20 representative, but first burst into the wider rugby public's collective consciousness at the Brisbane Rugby 10s tournament last year when he scored a try so dazzling footage of it circled the globe on social media.

But for Sacred Heart College rugby coach Dave Dillon Tamoaieta's skills were apparent from his earliest days at the school.

His first thoughts on seeing Tamoaieta play were 'Far out, who's this kid?', he told mourners.

"He's got power, he's got footwork, he's got fend. And once he's run over top of you, he'll come back and pick you up and say 'Sorry bro'."

The rugby fraternity showed its collective respective for the powerful prop to the end, with Sacred Heart pupils and Blues players performing a haka as Tamoaieta was carried from the church for his burial at Mangere Lawn Cemetery.