Skip to main content

Story: Death and dying

Funeral directors: Inga Tuigamala

Image
Funeral directors: Inga Tuigamala

Va'aiga Lealugu Tuigamala, once known as Inga the Winger, was a well-known All Black and rugby league player. He became a funeral director after retiring from rugby. This career choice was prompted by the death of 10 of his friends in 2003. Tuigamala ran a funeral company, Tuigamala & Sons, in West Auckland, and organised the funeral of the late king of Tonga, Taufa'ahau Tupou IV.

Using this item

New Zealand Herald

Reference: 040608NZHPEINGA.JPG

by Paul Estcourt

Permission of the New Zealand Herald must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page

Ruth McManus and Rosemary Du Plessis, Death and dying – Bodies of the dead, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/30405/funeral-directors-inga-tuigamala (accessed 16 June 2026).

Story by Ruth McManus and Rosemary Du Plessis, published 3 May 2011, updated 1 November 2023.

Comments

Lopeta Chongnee
18 March 2018
Do you have a company in Samoa,making head stone please,