Thousands paid tribute Monday to Jonah Lomu, an All Blacks rugby legend and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, during a public memorial service in New Zealand, according to CNN.
A group that included former All Blacks players honored Lomu, who died Nov. 18 at age 40 from cardiac arrest, with a traditional haka, a Maori war dance commonly performed before matches.
About 8,000 people, including Lomu's former teammates, many of whom sported the No. 11 All Blacks shirt, attended the service at the Eden Park stadium in Auckland, according to The Guardian.
According to an article published by the LDS Church, Lomu was baptized in 2012 after missionaries helped answer his lifelong questions.
Alex Johnson writes for the Faith and Family sections of DeseretNews.com.
Email: ajohnson@deseretdigital.com
Twitter: @axelrad_