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Rugby player dies on pitch after collapsing during New Zealand centenary match
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The centennial celebration of one of New Zealand’s smallest rugby clubs ended in tragedy when a player died on the pitch.
According to the New Zealand HeraldThe player collapsed on Sunday during the game between Ruatoria City’s 2022 squad and a Ruatoria Centennial XV after suffering a heart attack.
Despite extensive efforts to rescue the player, who was part of the Ruatoria City’s XV, he was pronounced dead on the spot and the match was abandoned.
Two ambulances rushed onto the field to help rescue the player who collapsed during Sunday’s game between Ruatoria City’s 2022 squad and a Ruatoria Centennial XV.
A spokesman for the St John Ambulance said paramedical crews and two ambulances attending the event responded to the incident.
A rescue helicopter from Gisborne – a town located in the Eastern Cape of New Zealand’s North Island, some 80 miles south of Ruatoria – also intervened.
According to a statement from the local police, an officer who attended the event also participated in the rescue operation and assisted paramedics with CPR.
Ngāti Porou East Coast clash against Mid Canterbury ahead of Lochore Cup final continued despite player’s tragic death in previous match
The match was part of the local rugby club’s centennial celebration and it was the curtain for Ngāti Porou East Coast’s clash against Mid Canterbury for the Lochore Cup final on Sunday afternoon.
From Provincial Rugby Newsthe organizers decided that the match should continue with a minute of silence before kick-off.
Ngāti Porou East Coast beat Mid Canterbury 25-20 in a hard-fought final to win the Lochore Cup for the first time.