A rugby player collapsed and died instantly during a Lautoka rugby club competition last weekend.
There was only one medical personnel in attendance during Friday's competition and he was at another ground when the tragic incident happend at Churchill Park ground 2.
Three other players also sustained serious injuries during the Lautoka club games .
But the main concern for the clubs was that the LRU continued with the competition despite there was no specialised medical team to be on standby in every match.
Naviyago's Josefa Waqanivavalagi collapsed and died instantly during the game against Namoli.
Another teammate sustained a serious head injury.
Matawalu's Suliasi Tora and Semisi Ravusou were also injured playing for Matawalu against Natabua on Saturday.
Naviyago rugby coach Palaiasi Labalaba said the incident was the first in the history of his club.
"Yes one of our players collapsed during the game. The main problem was there were no medics and the referee did not even know that the player collapsed," Labalaba said.
Team officials rushed to attend to Waqanivavalagi for 10-15 minutes. However, the referee did not abandon the game after Waqanivavalagi was rushed to the hospital.
Doctors confirmed Waqanivavalagi had died on the rugby field.
Labalaba said club officials needed to be taught about safety measures that could be essential in such situations.
"This is the second time we are playing and there were no medics provided by the union. And also the referee should have called off the match after the incident. We need some experts to come and teach us about these simple factors that usually lead to this kind of problem," he said.
Namoli rugby club president Joji Satala urged the LRU to provide medics for every match.
"I want to highlight few things and I am pleading the Lautoka Rugby Union to please do something with it," he said.
"Firstly, there were no medics on the ground, when Josefa collapsed everyone thought he just fell and would stand up again.
"But after 10-15 minutes we knew that something was wrong. No medics or special medical personal was present to treat injured players."
Satala said it was a risk to play a rugby match without any medical team on standby.
"If I had known that there were no medics that day I could have told my players not to play because I do not want to take the risk.
"To the other club presidents, please do not play if there are no medics at the ground. Let the welfare of the players be your primary priority," Satala urged his fellow club presidents.
Matawalu rugby coach Isei Tuvusa made similar comments, stating the LRU should provide medics during the weekly club games.
"I believe if there were some medics at the ground, the injury could be taken off and there will be no questioning or other issues arising from this matter," Tuvusa said.
Labalaba said it was the responsibility of the union to provide medics at any club game.
LRU game committee chairman Suka Rabitu said they had arranged for the medics.
LRU secretary Salesi Vulakoro said they had a medics team available on Friday.
"We had one medic but he was on the other ground at Nadovu," Vulakoro said.
"Right now we cannot provide two medics at Churchill Park and Nadovu grounds because we do not have the funds for that.
"We cannot provide two medics in a week because some of these clubs have not paid their full registration for our operation and adminstration fund.
"The money we got can only cater for one medic unless other clubs who still owe money pay their full registration," he said.
Vulakoro said Naviyago was one that had yet to pay its full $500 registration fees.
He said the union would be accountable to any player from any club when the full registration fee was fully paid.