[King Gizzard]

[Shaun]

That's awful

[Drew.]

What a warrior, terrible news

[Denver]

Such sad new R.I.P

[Ammi]

Let me go back to my first gasp of breath
Let my life force return to the earth
It is New Zealand that thunders now
And it is my time!
It is my moment!
The passion ignites!
This defines us as the All Blacks
And it is my time!
It is my moment!
The anticipation explodes!
Feel the power
Our dominance rises
Our supremacy emerges
To be placed on high
Silver fern!
All Blacks!
Silver fern!
All Blacks!
aue hi!

[Cherie]

Wow that is sad news RIP

[AnnieK]

Awful news...RIP

[Niamh.]

omg, that's shocking, so young

[hijaxers]

This is an awful shock at such a young age , deepest sympathy to his family

As they say No one is indispensable - But some are missed more than others

[Iceman]

Very sad news.

[kirklancaster]

Sad news - He was a real character. RIP.

[GiRTh]

No one dies of natural causes at the age of 40. Autopsy could be interesting.

RIP to a rugby legend who was decades ahead of his time.

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by GiRTh

No one dies of natural causes at the age of 40. Autopsy could be interesting.

RIP to a rugby legend who was decades ahead of his time.

He had kidney disease which is why he stopped playing rugby and had a kidney transplant as well so I guess its related to that

[GiRTh]

Originally Posted by Cherie

He had kidney disease which is why he stopped playing rugby and had a kidney transplant as well so I guess its related to that

I heard he had a kidney complaint when he was still playing I'm not sure how chronic it was but arent most kidney complaints manageable?

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by GiRTh

I heard he had a kidney complaint when he was still playing I'm not sure how chronic it was but arent most kidney complaints manageable?

If he had to have a transplant both kidneys must have been diseased, maybe his body rejected, dialysis doesn't work for everyone, don't know really

[GiRTh]

Originally Posted by Cherie

If he had to have a transplant both kidneys must have been diseased, maybe his body rejected, dialysis doesn't work for everyone, don't know really

I thought the transplant was in 2004. Would his body reject it after all that time?

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by GiRTh

I thought the transplant was in 2004. Would his body reject it after all that time?

If you have any kind of transplant you go on medication for life to stop the body rejecting so I guess so.

[GiRTh]

Originally Posted by Cherie

If you have any kind of transplant you go on medication for life to stop the body rejecting so I guess so.

But he seemed fine yesterday as we saw the shots of him at the airport. Could the rejection occur so quickly after 11 years?

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by GiRTh

But he seemed fine yesterday as we saw the shots of him at the airport. Could the rejection occur so quickly after 11 years?

I don't know! Do you suspect suicide or foul play or what?

[Denver]

His kidney failed in 2011

[GiRTh]

Originally Posted by Cherie

I don't know! Do you suspect suicide or foul play or what?

As I say, autopsy could be interesting.

[MB.]

Originally Posted by GiRTh

I thought the transplant was in 2004. Would his body reject it after all that time?

Yes, it already had before

(RIP)

[the truth]

An extraordinary human being. When you consider the fact he had serious kidney problems even before and throughout his rugby career and yet still he went on to become the biggest rugby star of all. It seems maoris have a 3.5 higher chance of kidney related illness. He was also from a poor family in a rough neighbourhood and survived being stabbed a few times in his younger days. On the field he was just plain awesome, athletic, powerful, passionate, brave...seeing him perform the haka sent shivers down the spine...He fought on , with the support of his family, running havoc at 99 world cup too and scoring umpteen crucial tries and was generally used as a wrecking ball against all comers....The great van ver vesthuizen was the only player who seemed capable of stopping him.


He later made a few rugby comebacks including a promise he made to his welsh manager to play rugby in Wales. Even after rugby he became a bodybuilder and threw himself into charity work with unicef too. He just seemed like a lovely bloke, humble and polite at all times, with a great family, he handled everything with humility and patience. Absolutely everyone loved him. My own little memory is seeing him around town before Ieuan evans testimonial in his legendary car which supposedly had the loudest car speaker system in new Zealand. He was interviewed at stradey park saying hed come over out of respect for ieuan who hed seen score some beautiful tries in new Zealand with the 93 lions....Then of course the enormous stradey roar that greeted him and greeted the moment a scarlets player Jonathon Griffiths, managed to tackle him lol...
His passing is tragic, but his life was extraordinary and that's what will always be remembered.

[AnnieK]

Originally Posted by GiRTh

I heard he had a kidney complaint when he was still playing I'm not sure how chronic it was but arent most kidney complaints managedable?

It was a cardiac arrest or so a doctor has announced. The kidney disease had probably weakened his heart. Tragic loss

[Crimson Dynamo]

my jaw actually dropped when I heard this in the car earlier

he changed rugby union. he is the reason the game changed to the big but mobile guys we see today

what a loss