12 Jun 2015

Former All Blacks haka tribute to Jerry Collins

9:56 am on 12 June 2015
Jerry Collins in 2008.

Jerry Collins in 2008. Photo: Photosport

A group of former All Blacks have performed a haka at the spot where former teammate Jerry Collins was killed in a car crash in France last week.

Ali Williams, Carl Hayman, Neemia Tialata, Chris Masoe and Byron Kelleher, who all play in Europe, performed the haka on the road near the southern French town of Beziers where the accident took place.

Samoa-born Collins, who played for second-tier French rugby with Narbonne last season, and his wife Alana Madill were killed when their car collided with a bus in the early hours of last Friday.

The video of the ex-internationals paying homage to Collins was posted on the Twitter account of Bayonne's Tialata with the caption, “Saying goodbye 2the brother and his partner the way we were all brought together.”

Collins is to be farewelled at a public funeral service in Porirua next week, with his manager and Collins family spokesperson Tim Castle saying his funeral service would be held at Te Rauparaha Arena in Porirua at 10.00am next Wednesday 17 June. Members of the public were welcome to attend.

Collins and his partner’s baby daughter, Ayla, remains in a critical condition in hospital in Montpellier.

A version of this story was first published on radionz.co.nz.