THE Gold Coast rugby league community has been left reeling by the shock death of one of the region’s best amateur players.

Tugun forward Chris Kitching died suddenly last Friday night, sending shock waves through the close-knit league sphere.

The 24-year-old was one of the best players in the local A-Grade competition, Coast 2 Coast Cup, and came through Tugun’s junior grades.

He played 23 of 24 games for the semi-professional Burleigh Bears in the Intrust Super Cup last season after making the step up in grade following Tugun’s 2013 Bycroft Cup premiership win.

Tugun’s Coast 2 Coast Cup team bravely took the field against Runaway Bay yesterday at their Boyd St home ground and recorded a gutsy 24-20 win.

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media_camera Chris Kitching is tackled during a game against Burleigh in 2013.

The club has retired the No. 8 jersey in its three senior grades for the remainder of the season and Tugun president Rod Hill said the shattered Seahawks had banded together.

“He was part of the furniture here,” Hill said.

“He came through to be one of our top A-graders and tried his hand at Queensland Cup last year and was all quality.

“He had a massive influence at our club on everyone.

“Tugun is a big family. There’s a lot of people affected by it.

“It’s been tough for the club but the shining light about the club is we’re a community and have bonded.

“The boys had a good chat about it and decided to go ahead with the game. A couple of the boys said he’d want us to play.”

media_camera Friends remember Chris Kitching at the game yesterday.

Kitching’s death follows those of a number of young rugby league players recently which has triggered the code to dedicate more resources towards the issue.

The parents of former Burleigh player Hayden Butler, who died in January, were at Pizzey Park yesterday to award a medal named in his honour.

Burleigh sported black armbands and held a minute’s silence before their 23-22 win over Mackay yesterday and Kitching’s former coach, Jim Lenihan, said he fought hard for a shot in the Intrust Super Cup.

“He came here on a train and hope promise and got a game in the first round which probably he didn’t even expect then played the rest of the year,” he said.

“He was great for us last year.

“He had a bit of a sore back and couldn’t do a lot of the pre-season this year and went back to Tugun which was fine.

“It’s just very sad. I don’t know what to say.”

media_camera Chris Kitching’s Tugun teammates: the team yesterday won its game against Runaway Bay 24-20 in a gutsy performance.

Kitching made multiple Gold Coast representative teams and even featured in the Queensland Rangers side in 2013.

Gold Coast Rugby League president Peter Daley said the association was supporting its members and urged people to seek help.

“He was a very popular rugby league player and person,” he said.

“It’s just a tragedy this has happened. The rugby league community is devastated.

“There’s so much support out there now.

“The players and members have been offered counselling and the Tugun club has been very good to everyone.”

If you need help call Lifeline 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue 1300 224 636.

Originally published as League community shattered by death