Rugby great fights for life in hospital after needing CPR when he collapsed after a match

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.

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.

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.

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.

Members of South Darwin RUFC and the wider community have rallied to support his family, with Exham having started a GoFundMe page.

‘He better recover quickly!’ club president Exham said.

‘We’ve been working with some of the most remote communities in Australia to bring their kids coaching clinics, and he still has work to do!’

The GoFundMe page, titled ‘Hearts united for Sete: Give, prey and support his family’ has raised $17,541 since being set up.

Speaking on the fundraising page, Exham said: ‘Sete has given so much to rugby and his community – now it’s our turn to give back. Let’s come together to support him and his family in this critical time.’

Writing on the GoFundMe page, Exham said: ‘Donations will ensure Sete’s wife and children can focus on supporting him through his recovery, without worrying about the financial burdens that come with such an unexpected crisis.’

You can make a donation to support Cakaunivalu’s family here.

Members of the South Darwin Rugby Union Club have set up a GoFundMe page to help raise funds to support his family

Exham also added that he was ‘incredibly proud’ of how the community has rallied to support the former player’s family.

‘I’m incredibly proud of how our community has come together, especially in the aftermath of Sete’s medical emergency,’ he said.

‘I’ve had calls from other clubs as soon as they became aware of the issue and it’s the really great thing about rugby union in general how we get around each other.

‘We can be quite fierce opponents on the field, but when something like this happens it shows we’re one big family.’