lit a candle 4h agook this is random but I do not even follow rugby league, some algorithm fed me a clip last year of this guy kicking a field goal for Italy to get them into the World Cup, first time ever, and I watched it like four times because the commentary guy just loses it. anyway saw he died today, 37, holiday in Victoria, no cause given which is its own kind of sad honestly. I looked up more after and he was a firefighter too which somehow didnt surprise me. weird to feel something for a guy I never knew existed a year ago but that kick stuck with me. edit: he was 37, fixed that, originally had him wrong
Their story
Ryan Ghietti was an Australian born rugby league footballer who became one of the most celebrated players in the history of the Northern Pride, the Cairns club in the Queensland Cup, and who represented Italy in 12 Tests and two Rugby League World Cups. A halfback, five eighth and hooker,…
Ryan Ghietti was an Australian born rugby league footballer who became one of the most celebrated players in the history of the Northern Pride, the Cairns club in the Queensland Cup, and who represented Italy in 12 Tests and two Rugby League World Cups. A halfback, five eighth and hooker, he was the Pride's most capped player, a 2014 premiership winner and the club's captain from 2016. He died suddenly on 10 November 2026, aged 37, after a medical episode while on holiday with friends in Victoria.
Ghietti was born on 22 July 1989 in Innisfail, in far north Queensland, and was of Italian descent. He played his junior football in Innisfail, with the Innisfail Brothers and the Innisfail Leprechauns, before moving south to play Colts for the Redcliffe Dolphins in 2009.
In 2011 he came home to the far north and joined the Northern Pride, where he became Player No. 64 and went on to make 165 appearances in the Pride jersey, a club record. He was part of the side that won the 2014 Queensland Cup grand final at Suncorp Stadium, beating Easts Tigers 36 to 4, and then defeated Penrith 32 to 28 at ANZ Stadium to claim the NRL State Championship. He was named club captain for the 2016 season. Former chairman Tony Williamson said he mentored future NRL players such as Murray Taulagi and Jake Clifford.
On the international stage Ghietti played for Italy, the Azzurri, between 2011 and 2016. In the 2011 European qualifying tournament he kicked the field goal that helped send Italy to its first Rugby League World Cup, and he was in Italy's squads for the 2013 and 2017 World Cups.
Away from football he worked in the building industry and as a firefighter with the Queensland Fire Department. He was married to Stacey and they had two children, Grace and James. His father, Les, died of cancer in 2015, and Ghietti marked the loss by playing for the Pride against Townsville that week.
His death was announced on 10 November 2026, prompting tributes from the Northern Pride, the Queensland Rugby League, the North Queensland Cowboys and the Italian team. Italy team manager Reno Santaguida said: "Once an Azzurri, always Azzurri." A fundraiser for his young family raised more than 80,000 Australian dollars within hours.
Biography adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); 7NEWS; QRL; Nine.com.au; Cowboys.com.au.
Photos
1Ryan Ghietti at the 2013 Rugby League World Cup
by People Forever
same, youtube rabbit hole got me too, that kick was something else