Who knew the haka could be such a moving thing to witness? At the memorial of recently deceased New Zealand All Blacks rugby star Jonah Lomu, that's exactly what it was. As a crowd of mourners in suits and rugby shirts chanted at the top of their lungs, it felt like a fitting tribute for such a fierce sportsman.

Jonah LomuOne last haka for Jonah Lomu

The public memorial service was televised on Fox at Auckland's Eden Park stadium. Pallbearers; of whom included All Black flankers Michael Jones and Dylan Mika; fought back tears as they carried the casket upon their shoulders, clutching one another for emotional support. His wife Nadene, decked in traditional Tongan ceremonial garb, looked on with dignity while cradling her two young sons Dyhreille and Brayley, who both wore their father's legendary number 11 All Black shirt - as did many others.

Watch the haka tribute from the memorial here:

The haka is traditionally performed as a war cry, though the modern day sees the All Blacks use it before their rugby matches and it is often implemented as a sign of respect for ceremonial occasions. The ferocious expressions of Lomu's former teammates, in this case, looked as if they were fighting back tears.

Lomu passed away on November 18th 2015 in Auckland after suffering from a debilitating rare kidney disorder known as nephrotic syndrome for twenty years. Despite a kidney transplant in 2004, Lomu continued to receive dialysis treatments, but unexpectedly died after returning from the UK where he was promoting the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

He was just 19 when he played his first international in 1994, becoming the youngest person to ever join the All Blacks. He held a record of 15 tries, and became an icon in the sport despite his illness.

Other attendees at the public service included retired Australian players George Gregan and Tim Horan, former All Black coach John Hart, Lomu's former doctor John Mayhew and the chairman of World Rugby Bernard Lapasset.