Auckland Policeman and rugby referee who died of a heart attack during a game has been remembered as a loving family man.

"Super Daddy" and a lover of rugby, 44-year-old Graham Eddy died mid-match on December 2.

An Auckland rugby referee who died of a heart attack during a game has been remembered as a loving family man and hard-working police officer.

Graham Eddy, 44, collapsed while refereeing a social touch game at Karaka, in south Auckland, about 7.20pm on Friday 2nd December 2016.

Eddy, husband and a father of two young girls, was an experienced referee and policeman.

After falling to the ground in the middle of a game, his fellow referees and emergency services worked to give him CPR but were unable to revive him.

Counties Manukau Referees Association chairman Nigel Bradley said Eddy was a great guy whose death came as a major shock.

Graham Eddy worked as a policeman - a job he had always wanted to do.

"I just can't believe it," he said.

"We're all shocked. The world's not right."

Bradley said Eddy was well respected in the league and was on the verge of being named as a regular Premier-grade referee.

"He was dedicated. And he was certainly forthright given his nature as a copper. Some people didn't like that, I certainly did."

Bradley said Eddy was involved in a lot of the social aspects of the league and had helped mentor some of the younger referees.

Eddy's wife Allie said in a statement that he was a man who lived "at 110 per cent".

She said he was committed to rugby, mountain biking, skiing, gardening, and DIY - among other pursuits both high-octane and of a slower pace.

But it was his love of people that really set Graham apart, she said. According to Allie, her husband could talk to anyone and was always ready to lend a hand.

The people he loved best were his two daughters, Madeleine and Scarlett, she said.

Eddy worked in the automotive industry before embarking on his career as a police officer in 2009, something he had always wanted to do.

Counties Manukau Rugby Referees said in an online tribute that Eddy had been refereeing in their league for the last three seasons after moving over from the Auckland Referees Association.

"He was a valued member of our association who loved the friendship we have here," the post said.

"It is incredibly sad to have lost someone so young and fit and he will be dearly missed."