Samoan Rugby is in a state of shock and mourning following confirmation this morning a former under-20s player has died after suffering a suspected head injury during a club match last week.
Faiva Tagatauli, 27, died yesterday after he picked up the suspected injury while playing for Club Vaimoso in the Senior A competition on Saturday.
Manu Samoa said in a statement the flanker wanted to be replaced in the game and left the field with 10 minutes left before he lost consciousness on the sidelines.
It's understood Tagatauli went into cardiac arrest at the time with emergency services able to revive and stabilise him before he was transported to the National Hospital - he died four days later.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with Faiva's wife Seutatia, and their son as well as their family at Fagamalo at this time," said SRU chief executive Faleomavaega Vincent Fepuleai.
"We also express our condolences to the Vaimoso Rugby Club who have lost a popular teammate. We will do all possible within our means to offer the support in this difficult time.
"The union prioritises and recognises the importance of player welfare.
"We work closely with the Rugby Players Association and World Rugby to ensure training and awareness programmes are rolled out through match officials, coaches and administrators."
World Rugby CEO Brett Gosper added his condolences this morning.
"We are just devastated to hear the tragic news that former Samoa under-20 player Faiva Tagatauli has died after playing for his club Vaimoso at the weekend."
Tagatalui played for Manu Samoa's under-20s in 2011 and was part of the team when they won the Junior World Trophy in Georgia.
The death comes at an already challenging time for World Rugby following the death of three players in France last year due to injuries sustained during matches.
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