Billy Guyton remembered by hundreds at memorial

Whanau welcomed Billy-John Aaron Guyton's (1990-2023) friends and community to Trafalgar Park on Thursday to celebrate his life.

After news of Billy's passing reverberated through social media earlier in the week, it was clear that the young man had made a massive impact during his 33 years of life.

Hundreds of people packed into the grandstands to give the former-Mako man a memorial worthy of the influence he's had in the community.

With even more people tuned into a live stream of the memorial, it was a fitting send-off to a man who had played such an impactful role in so many lives.

Memories of past and present were shared, with emotions raw as his closest friends and family shared a glimpse of the man Billy was.

From former Mako captain Joe Wheeler sharing his fondest memories of a man they called "Mad Bill" and the team of past and present players in attendance singing an impromptu team song, to Les Edwards detailing the long list of Billy's accolades, it was clear he had packed more into life than a lot of people much his senior.

“It made us all smile, it made us laugh, it made us cry. Your wildness was your greatest strength, which ultimately became your greatest weakness and took you away from us,” says Joe.

From the pinnacle of playing for the Maori All Blacks to the passion he continued to have for the game after his retirement, Billy lived and breathed rugby.

It was a love he had for all sports, as an avid premier league cricketer and a keen basketballer.

It was this passion that saw him asked to be one of the ribbon cutters of the new Waimate sports center, coming back to his hometown as one of the region's "best-known sports stars".

Mako Farah Palmer Cup coach Mel Bosman, who put Billy under her wing as assistant coach of the team, shared how much of an impact he had played in her life.

From getting her through dark times to being a stand-up friend and colleague, she shared just how much Billy will be missed by everyone that knew him.

While there was a lot of sadness, there were also the funny stories of just how long it would take the pair to walk from Trafalgar Park to DeVille's for a coffee.

The five-minute walk would take hours, recalled Mel, just because so many people would stop and talk to Billy.

His passing will leave a big hole in local women's rugby, where he has played a massive role in recent years.

Having coached the Marist team to a premiership title last season, he had stepped away from club rugby to focus on the Mako outfit.

That didn't mean he was any less of a presence on the sidelines of women's rugby as a scout, selector and a passionate fan.

Dozens of female players from the teams Billy had coached came out to support Mel in her speech and performed their team's songs as he was driven away to his final resting place.

An impactful rendition of the Ka Mate haka was also performed as he was carried to his final ride.

Billy is survived by his daughter Uri, partner Sierra, parents John and Stacey, siblings Tia, Tori and half-brother Blayne and sister Breeze.