All Blacks on magical mystery tour for secretive Kahui wedding

All Black Richard Kahui and Amy Rhodes married in Hamilton yesterday. Photo / File

The church was decorated in white and pink roses and fairy lights. The star couple did their best to keep prying eyes away and the guests didn't even know where they were going, but the wedding of All Black hunk Richard Kahui brought some glamour to Hamilton yesterday.

Kahui wed his girlfriend Amy Rhodes at St Peter's Cathedral in front of friends, family and many of his Chiefs teammates, who were all free of Super XV rugby because they had a bye.

There had been speculation the rugby-free weekend would prove the ideal time for the wedding.

Guests were told to meet at the Novotel Tainui about midday before being driven in a number of buses to the church, which had been given a romantic makeover for the celebrity pair.

It was reportedly decorated in white and pink roses and fairy lights while the entrance was covered in a white cloth and bouquets of white roses. Aside from its decorative appeal, the entrance changes were most likely designed to protect the couple from photographers - and a pay cheque worth thousands of dollars - as they walked into the church. The couple have an exclusive deal with the New Zealand Woman's Weekly.

Wedding guests shielded the couple from view with white umbrellas as they emerged from vehicles in front of the church. Identical Range Rovers transported the wedding party to the church.

Women's magazines traditionally pay thousands of dollars for celebrity weddings and industry sources say the pin-up Kahuis' could have been worth as much as $40,000.

Guests had to have their names checked off a list before they were allowed entry to the bus that took them to the wedding. Among them were Liam Messam, Aaron Cruden, Brodie Retallic, Sam Cane, Hika Elliot, Tanerau Latimer and Lelia Masaga, Craig Clarke and coach Dave Rennie.

But a honeymoon might have to wait. A team official confirmed that players who married mid-season were granted two days' leave, so Kahui will likely be back in training on Monday for his team's game against the Queensland Reds next Saturday afternoon.

Kahui has been dating Rhodes - who is from Coogee, in Sydney's eastern suburbs - since 2011.

After a string of shoulder injuries, Kahui is to join Japanese club Toshiba on a big money two-year deal at the end of the Super Rugby season.