Past and present All Blacks were in Porirua to pay their respects to Jerry Collins who was farewelled in his hometown today during a three-hour service at Te Rauparaha Arena.
Hurricane and All Blacks wing Cory Jane said Collins was a valued teammate.
"We all know what he was like in rugby but the guy off the field, he was honest, he was up-front. He liked to have fun and I like to have fun too.
"He was always protective of the young fellas."
"If somebody was picking on you who you felt was treating you with disrespect he'd come in and give him a kind word in his kind of way and he was just a great man.
"Loved getting nude, which was interesting, but a good team man and a good man to be around.
"He lived life to the fullest."
Image 1 of 10: Pallbearers, including All Blacks, from left, Tana Umaga, Chris Masoe and Ma'a Nonu, carry Jerry Collin's casket out of Te Rauparaha Arena. Photo / Mark Mitchell
All Black great Michael Jones said the service was unique - just like Collins.
"The service was really true to who Jerry was, I think just the uniqueness, even the spontaneity, just the real character of the man was really evident in that service today."
He said something he would always cherish was "Jerry just being Jerry".
"He was one of the most unique rugby players in the world, and one of the most unique characters in world rugby, and definitely one of the most special players to ever wear a black jersey. I think that was what the celebration very much was about today."
Jones said he took the No 6 jersey to "new dimensions".
"The game became a lot more physical and confrontational ... Jerry just really took that level of physicality and brutal influence.
"It was really his trademark ... not just being physical but being influential and I think that's very much how he played the game, and I think that's how he lived his life."
Former All Black Jonah Lomu said Collins stood up for what he believed in, but also had everyone's back.
"Listening to the reports and what everyone has said about how they found him, and he was protecting his baby... that's just typical Jerry.
"He is the person that he was right to the end," Lomu said.
"He's been a true, honest man and everyone here knows it is fitting to what Jerry is. A proud Porirua boy, proud Samoan."
Lomu said Collins was well-loved.
"We all loved him. Through thick and thin he was always there for you. We'll always miss him, and we will always carry him in our hearts."
Lomu said there were too many special stories about Collins to share just one.
"Those stories we will keep to ourselves because they were special to us.
"Anybody that Jerry met and touched, [he] left an everlasting feeling with them and he left an everlasting feeling with me."
Lomu spoke of what it was like to have Collins as a teammate.
"When I was on the wing and I had to look to the side of the scrum I didn't have to worry about anything, all I had to do was worry about my own man, but that was just Jerry."
Collins was gone too early, he said.
"We wish him all the best, and safe travels. Rest in peace my brother."
