Young Wellington rugby union player dies

Young Wellington rugby player Daniel Baldwin has died four days after suffering a head injury while playing in a match.

A 19-year-old rugby player from Wellington has died after suffering an on-field head injury last Saturday.

Daniel Baldwin was hurt in a match at Ngati Toa Domain, north of Porirua, and was placed in an induced coma in a critical condition.

He died on Wednesday night, a family statement said on Thursday.

The cause of the injury is unclear, but witnesses have reported to the Wellington Rugby Football Union that Baldwin was involved in a first-half collision.

He was not removed from the field until late in the match, when teammates noticed him struggling during a stoppage.

Baldwin's condition then deteriorated rapidly and an ambulance was called to take him to Wellington Hospital for brain surgery.