Rugby Player Dies After Training, Japan Club Confirms

A 26-year-old Fijian rugby player, Saimoni Vunilagi, has died after being hospitalised with symptoms consistent with severe heatstroke following a training session in Japan.

Vunilagi’s club, second-division side Kyushu KV, confirmed his death on Saturday, saying he was taken to a hospital in the southern city of Fukuoka after a team practice on Monday.

The club said the player died on Friday morning. Temperatures in Fukuoka reached 35°C on the day of the training session.

Vunilagi, a back-row forward who stood 196 centimetres tall and weighed 117 kilogrammes, had recently joined Kyushu KV after beginning his professional career in 2023.

He had attended university in Japan before turning professional and was expected to contribute significantly to the club’s upcoming season.

“The players, staff, and all team associates are devastated by this sudden news,” Kyushu KV said in a statement.

The club described Vunilagi as a player whose generous personality and powerful style of play had generated high expectations following his arrival.

It also expressed condolences to his family and prayed for the repose of his soul.

His death comes amid growing concerns over extreme heat in Japan, which has experienced increasingly severe temperatures in recent years.

Japan recorded its hottest summer on record last year, while some parts of the country have experienced temperatures approaching 40°C in recent weeks.

According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, nearly 18,600 people were taken to hospital for heatstroke between July 20 and 26. Forty-five people were pronounced dead on arrival during the same period.

Japan records about 1,300 heat-related deaths annually and has set a target of reducing the figure by half by 2030.

The extreme heat has also affected animals and sporting activities. Three lions at a Tokyo zoo recently died from suspected heatstroke, while other animals remained under treatment.

Scientists have linked the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme heat events in Japan and other parts of the world to human-induced climate change.

Japan’s highest recorded temperature of 41.8°C was recorded in Isesaki, north of Tokyo, on August 5, 2025.

Authorities have increasingly adjusted the timing of cultural and sporting events to reduce the risks posed by extreme heat.

The death of Vunilagi has renewed concerns about the dangers athletes face while training and competing during periods of extreme temperatures.