Deaths of 3 rugby players in Malaysia expose brutal side of heatwave

The deaths in quick succession of three rugby players in Malaysia have put renewed focus on the risks of competing in extreme heat and humidity, as Climate Change pushes temperatures higher across Southeast Asia.On May 23, prop Azlan Azhari, playing for Kedah’s state team against Johor in the 2026 Agong Cup, a local interstate tournament, collapsed about five minutes after scoring a try. The 22-year-old was stretchered off the field and taken to hospital where he was placed in an induced coma but died two days later. The cause of death given was Heatstroke, dehydration and organ failure.Adam Putra Syahril, 21, passed away on May 23 after collapsing during a Penang Sukma rugby training session, while earlier last month, on May 10, former national team scrum-half Mohamad Khairul Abdillah Ramli, 34, suffered an aortic rupture on the bus home after an Agong Cup match.