Rugby players’ union calls for clearer heat-safety rules after Vunilagi death

The Rugby Players’ Association is calling for clearer rules governing training in extreme heat following the death of Fijian player Saimoni Vunilagi in Japan. In a report published by BBC Sport on Thursday, the union’s general secretary, Christian Day, urged stronger oversight of how clubs protect players when temperatures become dangerous.

Watch the highlights:

Vunilagi, 26, became ill during a training session with Japanese second-division club Kyuden Voltex on 3 August and died several days later. The club said he had shown symptoms consistent with severe heatstroke. BBC Sport stressed that no formal cause of death has been publicly released. In Fukuoka, where the club is based, the temperature had reached 35C by noon that day, with humidity above 75%.

Day told the BBC that athletes may be reluctant to tell coaches they feel unwell or believe conditions are too hot. He argued that staff need a defined threshold at which activity must stop, alongside education to help players recognise when a team-mate is struggling. He also raised the possibility of shortening training sessions or cancelling outdoor work on particularly hot days.

World Rugby revised its heat and air-quality guidance in 2025, the report said. Its heat stress index runs from zero to 250 and provides for measures including water breaks and longer half-time intervals, with suspension or postponement possible in more dangerous conditions. Day’s concerns also extend beyond fixtures: players spend considerably more time training than competing, making safeguards at club sessions an important part of the discussion.

Madeleine Orr, an assistant professor of sport ecology at the University of Toronto, told BBC Sport that inconsistent policies across leagues leave room for a more standardised approach. She compared the need for clear heat procedures with established responses to nearby lightning. Orr also warned against relying on past experience of hot weather when deciding whether present conditions are safe.

The report noted that the Japan Rugby Football Union had warned clubs on 5 June about growing heatstroke concerns during summer and urged them to prioritise safety when organising training camps. Day said professional sport also influences behaviour at grassroots level, making the example set by elite teams relevant to younger and amateur players as well.