There was hardly a dry eye in the crowd at the Sydney game on Saturday arvo.
The Māori paid tribute to their former team-mate Kath Wharton, who passed away last November at the age of 41, through their pre-match haka.
Her protégée Harata Butler was in tears as she laid a photo of Wharton on the halfway line at the beginning of the haka.
Wharton played 14 Tests for the Ferns between 2008 and 2013, and then came back to the game to make three appearances for the Warriors in the NRLW in 2019.
Wharton was a mentor to Butler and sported her name on the back of her number 15 Maori jersey.
“A special occasion to commemorate her mate and mentor,” Nine commentator Brenton Speed said.
Wharton was a key player for the Kiwi Ferns team before taking a break to focus on her family after the 2013 World Cup. Six years later, upon her return to the Test match scene, she scored an incredible 93m try against Samoa.
A year after that, she led the Counties-Manukau team to the inaugural New Zealand Rugby League National Women’s Premiership in 2020.
The Maoris suffered a loss in the clash after a last-minute penalty kick, which 20-year-old Lailani Montgomery coolly slotted in to seal a 20-18 victory.
