A FIJIAN RUGBY player with a Japanese professional team has died after being taken to hospital with “symptoms consistent with severe heatstroke”.

26-year-old Saimoni Vunilagi, who plays for the second-division side Kyushu KV, was taken to hospital in the southern city of Fukuoka after a team practice on Monday, and died on Friday morning.

Temperatures reached a high of 35C in Fukuoka on Monday. 

Vunilagi, a back-row forward who stood 196cm and weighed 117kg, attended university in Japan and began his professional career in 2023.

“The players, staff and all team associates are devastated by this sudden news,” the club said in a statement.

“Although Saimoni had only recently joined Kyushu KV, his generous spirit and powerful style of play had raised high hopes for his contributions in the upcoming season.”

“We humbly pray for the repose of his soul and extend our heartfelt condolences to his bereaved family.”

Japan sweltered through its hottest summer on record last year and parts of the country have hit 40C in recent weeks.

Close to 18,600 people were taken to hospital for heatstroke between 20 and 26 July, with 45 of them pronounced dead on arrival, according to the fire and disaster management agency.

Japan experiences about 1,300 heat-related deaths annually and is aiming to halve that number by 2030.

Three lions at a Tokyo zoo died from suspected heatstroke and others are under treatment, a spokeswoman said this week.

Scientists say human-induced climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme heat events in Japan and elsewhere.

The country’s highest recorded temperature of 41.8C was registered on 5 August 2025, in Isesaki, north of Tokyo.

Authorities have adjusted the timing of several cultural and sporting events in recent years because of the heat, including the World Cosplay Summit in Nagoya, which held its final summer edition last week.