THE RUGBY league community has been rocked by tragedy after a player collapsed and died while training in the Hunter.
An Aberglasslyn Ants player was training at McKeachie's Sportsground on Tuesday when the emergency unfolded about 5.30pm.
Paramedics and police rushed to the scene on Redgum Circuit after reports the 31-year-old man had collapsed, but he sadly could not be revived.
A NSW Rugby League (NSWRL) spokesperson told the Newcastle Herald the sporting code's community was mourning along with the man's loved ones.
"The NSWRL expresses its deepest sympathy to the family of an Aberglasslyn Ants player who sadly passed away in Maitland Hospital on Tuesday night after collapsing at training at McKeachie's Oval," the spokesperson said.
"We ask that the media respect the family's privacy during this incredibly traumatic time."
The spokesperson said authorities would now need to undertake important processes, including Port Stephens Hunter police, who are preparing a report for the coroner on the man's sudden death.
"The NSWRL is concentrating its efforts to provide full support for his family, team-mates, club, and the local rugby league community," the spokesperson said.
The Ants play in the Newcastle Hunter Rugby League competition.
Police confirmed on February 14 that initial inquiries indicated there were no suspicious circumstances.
It's been a harrowing period for the club, which has lost two cherished members in eight months, in separate tragedies.
The Aberglasslyn Ants banded together to support each other last year when a young man died after suffering a serious on-field injury during a game at Fingal Bay on the afternoon of June 17.
A memorial for the man, known publicly by his jersey number eight, was held at McKeachie's Sportsground later that month.
