The crowded Shellharbour Stingrays football field fell silent but for the emotional cries of a haka on Saturday morning as friends and team mates of 13-year-old Gervis Wililo, who died the night before, came together to remember him.
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The team captain Darcy Farquhar fought back tears as he stood in front of the Under 14s players, who were lined up with their arms around each others' shoulders, holding Gervis's number 12 against his chest.
As the haka - performed in tribute by team mates and school friends - began, the tight-knit Stingrays community formed a circle around the boys.
Many of the kids and parents held each other tightly, trying to understand the death of a child.
The Albion Park boy died on Friday night while he was riding to the shops through Di Gorman Oval about 6.40pm.
On Sunday, Gervis's family thanked the community for their support.
"A big thank you to the Stingrays Rugby League club and the whole football community in the Illawarra," his mother Emily King said.
"All his friends from school, from his high school, primary school and all the families that have reached out to us and donated towards the GoFund Me or sent text messages or dropped off flowers and meals.
"Just thank you and just know that Gerv loved his friends more than anything."
According to a message shared by Gervis's high school on Saturday, his death was described as a "sudden, unexpected medical episode".
"With the permission of Gervis's family, I can share with you that based on the latest medical assessment, Gervis likely died almost immediately from a seizure or heart attack..." Albion Park High principal Neal Reed wrote.
He was just a beautiful, beautiful kid.
A talented footballer and well-liked year 8 student, Gervis was remembered as a "beautiful boy" who was honest, respectful and hardworking.
News of his death spread quickly through the communities of his school - which is just across the road from the park where he died - and the Shellharbour junior rugby league club.
At the park, people placed flowers near the low wooden and wire fence on Saturday morning, with parents tightly hugging their children's shoulders and trying to make sense of the untimely death.
His football team met early at Shellharbour surf club, allowing parents and their coach to speak to them about grief and support, and to decide if they wanted to play their scheduled Saturday morning game without Gervis.
"It was just about letting them know that they're not alone and everyone handles things differently, and that however they're feeling is all completely normal and that there's always someone around that you can have a chat with," Wayne Farquhar, the father of team captain Darcy, said.
"They made the decision to play today as a group together and it's brought them obviously much closer together and they appreciate each other a lot more.
"They have played in the spirit of how Gervis played.
"He was honest, the most polite kid, he always played by the rules, was always respectful and he worked hard off the field in his game as well. He made big improvements during the off season, got himself very fit and, and was playing really well.
"As a kid, he was just a beautiful, beautiful kid."
These sentiments were echoed on social media, with Melodie Schmidbauer saying he was "such a sweet boy, gone way too soon".
"Such a gorgeous young man with the heart of gold that was always there for my daughter during tough times," Tracy Roberts said.
Friends have started a fundraiser to assist his family in "this heart-wrenching period of immense stress".
"We lost a beloved friend, brother, and son in a tragic accident yesterday," Tyrone Amone wrote on the GoFundMe page.
"Many loved him dearly, and his absence will be felt indefinitely. Forever 13 our Gervy boy."
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