A player involved in a festival match celebrating the centenary of one of New Zealand's smallest rugby clubs has died this morning after an on-field incident. The player collapsed during the match between Ruatoria City's 2022 squad and a Ruatoria Centennial XV. Stunned players formed a guard as paramedics tended to a rugby player who collapsed during a match in Ruatoria this morning. The match was the curtain-raiser to this afternoon's Ngāti Porou East Coast clash against Mid Canterbury for the Lochore Cup final. On the Ngāti Porou East Coast rugby union Facebook page the curtain-raiser clash was described as a "state of origin Ngāti Style" with fathers up against sons, brothers against brothers and cousins against cousins.

Source: New Zealand Herald October 23, 2022 08:49 UTC