It is with great sadness that we have to report the death of Tiki Hunia. Tiki and his wife Nickie had recently renewed their wedding vows in Las Vegas and were enjoying a second Honeymoon with a 5 week trip around the Caribbean when he was tragically shot trying to defend his wife from an assailant in Jamaica. The unknown assailant attacked Nickie in pursuit of her valuables as they were standing outside the front of their 5-star hotel in the business area of St Andrews, Kingston. Tiki immediately stepped in to protect his wife and subdued the attacker so she could flee. Nickie ran inside the hotel to get help and then heard gunshots. When she returned Tiki was found lying on the ground injured and out of breath. He was taken to the hospital by police where he was declared dead around 20 minutes later. He had received two bullets to the upper chest. Tiki's bravery saved his wife's life.

Tiki, from the Bay of Plenty area in NZ, was 26 years old and an IT consultant based in HK. Nickie-Jean Hunia, also 27 and from the Bay of Plenty area, is a kindergarten teacher at an International School in HK. They had been in HK for the past 18 months.

Tiki has been part of the Valley rugby section since arriving in HK and also played with the Rugby Band that performed last year at MoJoVember, Joel Dunn's Leukemia fund raiser. Those of you that know him will know what a gentle, kind person he was. That such a senseless killing should happen to such a mild-mannered, likeable young man is truly tragic. We are all deeply shocked and saddened by the event and are thoughts are with Nickie and their respective families back in New Zealand.