Tēvita Tāufa of Nukunuku was looking forward to a remarkable future with New Zealand’s rugby industry.
He had a dream of attending a rugby union club in Timaru in the south island.
He was expected to arrive in New Zealand on Saturday last week, two days after he was killed in a car crash at Fatai.
A Tongan community leader in Timaru, Sina Mānoa Lātū talked to Kaniva about the arrangements for Tāufa to come to New Zealand.
Lātū was reeling after she received the news.
“ Very sad, gone too soon,” she said.
She said there was a number of rugby players coming from the village to Timaru.
Tāufa was described by friends and relatives on Facebook as “matakainga” and “mata’ofa”.
As Kaniva news reported last week, Police said speed and alcohol were thought to have contributed to the crash which killed Tāufa.
Early that evening Tāufa and his friends have shared photos on Facebook which appeared to show they were having a party.
A Police release the following day said the deceased was with friends on a night out, drinking alcohol in Nuku’alofa before they returned to Nukunuku at about 1am in two cars.
The car in which Taufa was a passenger in crashed and killed him.
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