Rugby star's brother dies at blackspot

The Auckland road where rugby sevens star Zar Lawrence's brother was killed at the weekend is an infamous blackspot which has claimed at least seven lives in as many years.

Fifteen-year-old Wiremu Lawrence was killed early on Saturday morning, after the vehicle he was driving swerved and hit four trees on Te Irirangi Drive in South Auckland. A tree was uprooted and ended up 100m from the car.

He was thrown from the vehicle, while a 28-year-old female passenger suffered serious back injuries and was taken to Middlemore Hospital. Police said speed was a factor in the crash.

Zar Lawrence - who played for the national sevens team in Hong Kong at the weekend - learned of his brother's death just hours before taking to the field.

As a tribute to his brother, the 27-year-old decided to continue to play until the end of the tournament, before returning in time for the tangi.

Wearing an armband bearing Wiremu's name, Lawrence took his emotions to the field in a pool match against Zimbabwe, scoring two tries. However, the team crashed out of the tournament yesterday when it was beaten by Kenya in the quarter-finals.

Last night New Zealand coach Gordon Tietjens, who has coached Lawrence for several seasons, had admiration for the player's decision to remain in Hong Kong.

"It certainly has been a tough time for Zar and he gave his very, very best. We saw how good a player he is yesterday and then again today," Tietjens said.

"It was a big decision to stay from both he and his family and we all supported that decision.

"Our chemistry is very close and we did everything we could to win this tournament for Zar and his brother.

"It wasn't to be and we have to keep our heads up."

The accident which killed Wiremu happened on a stretch of road which has, over the years, become known as an infamous blackspot for road deaths.

Te Irirangi Drive in East Tamaki - stretching over 8km of road - has no speed bumps. With a long buffer strip running down the middle, its two lanes have made it popular with boy racers.