Touching scenes as fallen teammate given pre-match honour

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There was almost not a single dry eye in the crowd before the women's All Stars match in Sydney on Saturday arvo.

The Māori performed their traditional pre-match haka in recognition of their former teammate Kath Wharton, who passed away in November at the age of 41.

Her protégé Harata Butler was in tears as she placed a photo of Wharton on the mid-point of the field at the start of the traditional Maori challenge.

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Wharton played 14 Tests for the Ferns between 2008 and 2013, and made a comeback to the game to play three matches for the Warriors in the NRLW in 2019.

Wharton was a mentor to Butler, and she had her name embroidered on the back of her No.15 Maori jersey.

"He's a bloke who's had a huge impact on her life," Nine commentator Brenton Speed said.

Wharton was a regular member of the Kiwi Ferns team before taking a break to focus on her family after the 2013 World Cup. On her return to international rugby six years later, she scored a remarkable 93-metre try against Samoa.

A year later, she led the Counties-Manukau team to the inaugural New Zealand Rugby League National Women's Premiership in 2020.

The Maoris suffered a heartbreaking loss after conceding a last-minute penalty shot, which 20-year-old Lailani Montgomery coolly slotted in to secure a 20-18 victory.