Luke Crawford has been remembered as a mighty pou for rugby in New Zealand. Photo: A Te Atawhai Tibble / supplied
Correction: This article initially reported the wrong day for the funeral service. It has been corrected to "Thursday morning".
Māori All Blacks kaumātua and police sergeant Luke Crawford has died.
Crawford dedicated his life to serving his people through his police work, then as Māori community engagement adviser at Stats NZ.
He also became Kaihautū Māori of the entire New Zealand Rugby organisation.
New Zealand Rugby released a statement expressing grief at his loss:
"Kua hinga te totara haemata, te totara whakamarumaru o te wao nui a Tane. Kua kore ngā manu e rere. Kua ngū te ngāhere. Mōu te take, Matua Luke. Aue, aue, aue taukiri e!"
"The towering Totara tree, the sheltering giant has fallen. The forest has gone silent, no birds are flying. We are all in mourning for you, Matua Luke Crawford. Farewell our friend, mentor, our Matua."
New Zealand Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson said Crawford was widely regarded as one of the organisation's most respected Māori leaders.
"Matua Luke was a wonderful man and a real taonga for our organisation and the entire game in Aotearoa New Zealand. I know that our rugby community will feel this news deeply as we come together over the coming days to remember this incredible man."
"Our thoughts are with Luke's whānau, and I'd like to thank them for sharing so much of him with rugby. He leaves an amazing legacy in our game."
Robinson said under Crawford's leadership the organisation's commitment to the use of tikanga Māori was transformed, and a set of values was established for rugby which had helped it progress as a safe and welcoming sport.
New Zealand Māori Rugby Board chair, Dame Professor Farah Palmer, said Crawford was a wealth of knowledge, which he used to help pivot the sport in a good direction.
"Matua Luke was a mighty pou for New Zealand Rugby," she said.
"His genuine warmth and willingness to share Te Ao Māori with the rugby world created many learning opportunities. We always felt safe and privileged when he led a process, thoughtfully selected and blessed taonga and teams, and shared pūrākau to enrich our places, people and purpose."
Crawford's body was with the coroner, and is expected to return to his whānau on Monday, when he will be taken to Takapūwāhia Marae in Porirua.
His funeral service will take place on Thursday morning.
The Crawford whānau invited everyone who knew Crawford and wanted to pay their respects to the marae, between 16 and 18 December.
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