Flanker dies after injury to the head

Former Manu Samoa under-20s flanker Faiva Tagatauli has died after suffering a suspected head knock while playing club rugby.

The 27-year-old had been playing for the Vaimoso Rugby Club in Samoa last weekend and lost consciousness on the sidelines after indicating he wanted to come off with 10 minutes to play.

Emergency services revived him at the scene before taking him to the national hospital.

Tagatauli spent four days in the high dependency unit before dying on Thursday.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with Faiva’s wife Seutatia, and their son, as well as their family at Fagamalo at this time,” Samoa Rugby Union chief executive Faleomavaega Vincent Fepuleai said.

Fepuleai said the SRU recognised the importance of player welfare.

“We work closely with the rugby players’ associations and World Rugby to ensure training and awareness programmes are rolled out through match officials, coaches and administrators.”

Tagatauli’s death adds to the growing concern over the safety of the game, after four players died in France within eight months from rugby injuries.

Nathan Soyeux, 23, Adrien Descouls, 17, Louis Fajfrowski, 21, and Nicolas Chauvin, 18, all passed away after sustaining head knocks while playing rugby.