Leading New Zealand rugby player Hoani MacDonald was reported in a critical but stable condition in hospital after suffering a heart attack during a national provincial championship match on Saturday.
MacDonald, who has played for the New Zealand Maori and Junior All Blacks teams and for the Otago Highlanders and Melbourne Rebels in the Super 15, was playing for Southland province against Counties Manukau at Pukekohe, south of Auckland.
Spectator Charleen Bleach said MacDonald was some distance from play when he appeared to stumble. He tried to rise to his feet but fell back, clutching his chest.
Medics performed CPR for almost 10 minutes before using a defibrillator to revive MacDonald.
The New Zealand Rugby Union said MacDonald was taken to Auckland's Middlemore Hospital. He was placed in an induced coma and his condition was later listed as critical but stable.
