Kiwi rugby commentator Willie Los’e dies on eve of Sevens World Cup

The rugby community has been rocked by the sudden passing of much-loved New Zealand-based rugby commentator Willie Los’e, whose voice in Sevens rugby is known the world over.

Los’e is believed to have passed away in Cape Town on Wednesday night, days before the start of the Sevens Rugby World Cup in Cape Town. The tournament, where Los’e was supposed to have commented, kicks off on Friday morning.

“Willie was a long-serving and highly-regarded member of the Sky Sport commentary team and the wider Sky family,” said his employers in a statement on social media.

“Our thoughts and condolences are with Willie’s whãnau at this time.”

Los’e wass 55.

According to the Stuff website, Los’e died from a ‘medical event’.

His family issued a statement to Stuff, which partly reads: “The Los’e whānau would like to thank Karl Te Nana, Bailey Mackey and World Rugby boss Steve Jamieson for contacting us directly from South Africa this morning relating to the sudden passing of our brother Willie.

“We ask that as a whānau, we be given time to process and work through our devastating loss and the logistics of repatriation of our brother, father, uncle, son home. We are awaiting details from Cape Town.”

Former All Blacks centre Frank Bunce told Stuff: “Willie was one of rugby’s good guys.”

He added: ”We played a lot of rugby together, dating back to the late 80s, both in club rugby around Auckland then for Auckland and North Harbour. He cared for people, for his friends and he made sure we all kept in touch.”