More than 2000 mourners, including the entire England Rugby League World Cup squad, have attended the funeral of former England and Ireland international Steve Prescott.
While 1000 packed into St Mary's Church in St Helens, many more lined the streets, braving the rain, to hear the 80-minute Mass.
They broke into spontaneous applause at the arrival of the hearse, followed by Prescott's widow Linzi and sons Taylor, 12, and Koby, seven.
The mourners were then moved by a eulogy from Taylor, who said: "I'd like to say how proud I am of what my dad has achieved.
"I have got lots of great memories of the times we have had together. I will remember them forever."
Prescott, a former player with St Helens, Wakefield and Hull, lost his seven-year battle with a rare form of stomach cancer on November 9 at the age of 39.
Despite his illness, he set up the Steve Prescott Foundation, raising almost STG500,000 ($A865,000) with a series of remarkable fund-raising activities, and was awarded the MBE in the 2010 New Year Honours for services to rugby league and charity.
The pallbearers included his brother Neil and former Great Britain internationals Paul Sculthorpe and Shaun Briscoe while England coach Steve McNamara and former St Helens team-mates Tommy Martyn, Chris Joynt, Steve Hall and Bernard Dwyer led the bidding prayers.
The Mass was followed by a private committal at St Helens Crematorium.
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