Scott Dureau: Rugby Star Dies at 39 After Battling With Cancer

• Scott Dureau, who starred for the Catalans Dragons in Super League and the Newcastle Knights in the NRL, passed away on Saturday
• The former Newcastle Knights NRL halfback had fought cancer for 13 years before his death at the age of 39
• Former teammates and Once a Knight Old Boys paid tribute to Dureau, saying his impact off the field was just as significant as his career

Scott Dureau, the halfback who made his name with both the Newcastle Knights in the NRL and the Catalans Dragons in Super League, has died at the age of 39 following a 13-year battle with cancer.

The South African rugby community recently lost former player Russell Nelson, who died a few days before celebrating his birthday, and also a young player who died during training.

A player remembered on and off the field

Dureau passed away on Saturday. Once a Knight Old Boys, the organisation representing former Newcastle Knights players, confirmed his death in a formal statement and paid tribute to his standing within the rugby league community.

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"There are players whose careers are remembered because of what they achieved on the field. Others are remembered because of the people they were," the statement read.

"Scott Dureau will be remembered for both."

Those who played alongside him emphasised that his character away from the game would endure long after his on-field contributions. Throughout his illness, Dureau remained focused on others rather than himself, continuing to invest in the futures of young players even while managing his own health.

"Even as he fought for his own future, he continued helping young people build theirs," the Once a Knight Old Boys statement noted.

Dureau's coaching legacy in Newcastle

Dureau retired from professional playing in 2015 and subsequently returned to Newcastle, taking on coaching and development roles with the club. His work in those positions helped shape the next generation of rugby league talent, and those who worked with him described his continued positivity throughout that period as remarkable given the personal challenges he faced over more than a decade.

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His career as a player had earned him recognition across two major rugby league competitions. He became a standout figure during his time with the Catalans Dragons, where his performances in the European competition drew wide acclaim.

Once, a Knight Old Boys said Dureau had earned enormous respect throughout the game, and that his legacy would be felt not only through the players he coached but through the example he set in how he lived his life.

Rugby legend dies after cardiac arrest

Briefly News also reported that a rugby legend passed away at the age of 68, a few days after suffering cardiac arrest.

The rugby icon was unable to recover despite medical efforts to revive him after the cardiac arrest incident.

Source: Briefly News