Rugby great fights for life in hospital after needing CPR when he collapsed after a match
Rugby great fights for life in hospital after needing CPR when he collapsed after a match
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Fiji rugby union great Setefano 'Sete' Cakaunivalu has been left fighting for his life in hospital after the 46-year-old collapsed in the clubhouse of the South Darwin Rugby Union Football Club on Friday. The back row forward, who represented Fiji 7s between 2003 and 2008, suffered a suspected heart attack following a game against Casuarina.
![[The former back-row forward was taken to hospital after a suspected heart attack]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/29/09/94628519-0-image-a-37_1738143144711.jpg)
He was rushed to the Royal Darwin Hospital where he remains on life support. South Darwin club members, including club president Tauraa Exham, acted quickly to perform life-saving CPR for over 15 minutes before emergency services arrived. Thanks to the fast response of those at the club, Cakaunivalu was resuscitated and stabilized.
![[Members of the South Darwin Rugby Union Club have set up a GoFundMe page to help raise funds to support his family]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/29/09/94628517-0-image-a-38_1738143148682.jpg)
He has shown signs of improvement in recent days but remains in critical care. Cakaunivalu had previously captained Fiji's 7s squad and is also a beloved community leader in Darwin having helped grow the sport in the region. He has worked as an NDIS support worker helping children and has also worked as a school student support worker.
Setefano Cakaunivalu has been left fighting for his life in hospital after the 46-year-old collapsed following a rugby match on Friday. The former back-row forward was taken to hospital after a suspected heart attack. Last year, the former rugby star travelled to the Paris Olympic Games as part of the Fiji 7s squad's management team.
