Friends, family and former teammates have gathered at Pukekohe to remember the great Joeli Vidiri.
The former All Blacks, Blues and Counties-Manukau winger was laid to rest today, after a three-week journey to bring his body back from the United States.
Those who knew him best remembered an amazing rugby player, but an even better friend.
Vidiri made one final entrance onto the ground where he created so many lasting memories with his athleticism.
His casket was carried into Pukekohe Stadium, as it was known when he played there, through the tunnel he walked down so many times for his beloved Counties-Manukau.
"He would do some incredible on the field, but he was never bigger than the game," says former Steelers captain Errol Brain.
Vidiri died in February, suffering a cardiac arrest, while also battling COVID-19.
One of the original Fijian flyers, Vidiri changed the game with his trademark power and pace.
"He was the prince of wingers," recalls Sir Michael Jones. "So many times, he'd go 60, 70, 80 metres to save the bacon of the Blues or Counties Manukau."
But the memories of Vidiri off the field are what Brain will look back on so fondly.
"He knew all the names of my daughters and knew my wife," he says. "The first thing he'd always ask is how's the family and then we'd talk about his family."
With ball in hand, Vidiri showed pure pace, athleticism and skill.
Together with Jonah Lomu, the Blues had a match made in heaven in the outside backs - and they knew it.
"In our backs meeting at the beginning of the week, we'd all be sitting down and we'd say, 'Right, this is what we're gonna do, we're gonna get the ball in Jonah and Joeli's hands really, really quickly'."
And why wouldn't you.
Those same teammates whom Vidiri helped out of a hole so many times over the years were there to say goodbye one last time.
He'll be laid to rest not far from the ground where he made his name.