memorial

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said 42,300 people have already snapped up a free ticket for the event at the Melbourne Cricket Ground next Wednesday.

It will be the wider public's first chance to say goodbye to Warne after his shock, sudden death from a suspected heart attack while staying at the Thai resort island of Koh Samui on March 4.

Patrons will need to be fully vaccinated to attend the service, which is expected to run for two hours.

Rather than flowers, Warne's family has asked people to donate to The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health.

A giant image of a mural of Mr. Floyd was displayed at the front of the sanctuary at North Central University — an image that was painted in recent days along a Minneapolis street near where a police officer had held his knee on Mr. Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes, even after Mr. Floyd had said, “I can’t breathe.”

At the bottom of the image in the church were the words: “I can breathe now.”

Sprays of white flowers were placed around a shiny copper coffin, and security officials, in masks because of the coronavirus, lined the stage.

A public memorial will be held to remember Lomu on Monday, November 30, at Eden Park from 1pm.