The young wife of the Maori All Blacks star killed in a car crash last week has shared her heartbreak in an emotional tribute to her husband as he was laid to rest.
Super Rugby star Sean Wainui, 25, died in a freak car accident near Tauranga in New Zealand's Bay of Plenty region last week.
Wainui's funeral took place in Gisborne yesterday.
His wife Paige posted an Instagram Story in which she is pictured smiling alongside her husband as he plays guitar.
'Laying you to rest yesterday was the hardest thing I have and will ever do in my entire life,' Paige wrote. 'Missing you so much, my baby, love you forever.'
'Laying you to rest yesterday was the hardest thing I have and will ever do in my entire life,' Paige (right) wrote about the funeral for her husband, Maori All Blacks star Sean Wainui (left)
The player's devastated widow Paige (middle) clutches her children close to her as another woman runs from behind the camera to throw her arms around the young family
The All Blacks paid tribute to Wainui by pausing the haka before the Test match against USA in Washington on Saturday
Paige also posted a photo of a shoreline with the words, 'Not a second goes by where I'm not thinking of you, my baby, right by your favourite place in the world.
'I know you're looking over us forever.'
Last week Paige posted a video to Instagram as her husband's body was being readied for his return to Gisborne.
It showed her watching almost two dozen men perform a ceremonial Maori haka while she tightly held her two children, son Kawariki, 2, and stepdaughter Arahia.
'This pain is unbearable Kei te hoki koe ki tō whenua taurikura my baby māku koe e arahi. I know you're waiting for us,' she wrote.
'We're on our way to gizzy [Gisborne] bringing you home now baby.'
The Maori words roughly translate as 'you're returning to your home, I will lead you'.
The All Blacks honoured him by pausing while performing the haka before the team's Test match against the USA in Washington DC on Saturday.
The team stopped for 11 seconds to pay tribute to the the No.11 jersey Wainui wore for the team.
Meanwhile, Wainui's family released a statement.
'We just want to thank everyone for their love and generosity. The beautiful tributes that have come from those who loved him all across the world means a lot to us all.
'We understand there are many hurting right now and wanting to hear from the whānau, but please respect that we have just lost our baby brother, a son, a husband and a father and our focus right now is healing and laying my brother to rest.'
Paige posted a photo of a shoreline with the words, 'Not a second goes by where I'm not thinking of you, my baby, right by your favourite place in the world.... I know you're looking over us forever'
The powerful tribute from his teammates comes after a video of Wainui teaching his eight-month-old son Kawariki to do the haka went viral in February this year (pictured)
'I'm broken. I'm right here, baby. Always and forever,' Wainui's devastated
