A small rugby league-field blessing has taken place near the spot where women's team member and mother-of-one Katiana Waikato played her last moments of sport before collapsing in Hastings on Saturday.
Rushed to nearby Hawke's Bay Hospital by ambulance she died early yesterday and the blessing took place yesterday afternoon at the Hawke's Bay Regional Sports Park, where teammates from Hastings club Tamatea were joined by park sports trust chief executive Jock Mackintosh and Rugby League Hawke's Bay chairman and till-recently secretary Mike Tamati in attendance, as family awaited the return of Miss Waikato to family in Flaxmere.
Miss Waikato had just recently started rugby league again after some years away from the game and was playing Dannevirke in one of three women's matches opening the third weekend of Men's Premier, Men's Reserve and Women's grades in the unique Rugby League Hawke's Bay competitions, which have been played in a unique Spring-season format for more than 15 years.
She collapsed soon after a tackle and was taken to nearby Hawke's Bay Hospital by ambulance and died early yesterday.
Mr Tamati said the district league would offer all the support it could to the family and friends, players from the two teams, and the referee, a former experienced Premier men's player who has only recently taken up the whistle.