The Brumbies have confirmed that back-row forward Tuaina Taii Tualima has been diagnosed with dengue fever.
The 27-year-old is understood to have contracted the mosquito-born illness during a team trip to Fiji in February.
The Brumbies got their 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season off to a winning start after sealing a 36-32 victory against Fijian Drua at the ANZ Stadium in Suva.
Tualima, who had previously played for Auckland and the Melbourne Rebels made his debut for the Brumbies during that match on February 15.
Despite that, the 27-year-old Queenslander did not feature in their Round Two defeat by the Western Force the following week on February 22.
The club has since announced that the flanker has been receiving treatment from doctors and an infectious disease specialist.
The Brumbies have confirmed that Tuaina Taii Tualima has been diagnosed with dengue fever
The ex-Melbourne Rebels back-row, who joined the Brumbies last year (centre) became ill following his sides recent trip to Fiji for the opening round of the Super Rugby Pacific season
‘The team took all preventative measures against mosquito-borne illnesses, however, one of our players, Tuaina Taii Tualima, has become ill after catching dengue fever,’ the Brumbies said in a statement on Monday.
‘The affected player has been diagnosed early and is receiving medical input from the team doctor and an infectious disease specialist.’
The club has not given an estimation on when he could return to action.
It comes after the Fijian Health Ministry declared an outbreak of the illness, reporting that over 200 cases had been recorded since the beginning of 2025.
The Ministry has urged members of the public to take care to prevent infection and seek medical attention should they experience symptoms.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dengue is a viral illness that is transmitted via mosquito bites. It is typically found in tropical and subtropical climates.
The WHO states that most who contract the virus can typically show symptoms of a high fever, headache and body aches. Most people generally recover within a few weeks however some can develop severe dengue and may need hospital care. The WHO adds that on some occasions severe dengue can be deadly.
The Brumbies are currently in New Zealand as they prepare to take on the Blues at Eden Park this Friday having suffered a 49-34 defeat by the Chiefs this weekend.
The club states that Tualima (right) has been receiving treatment from doctors and infectious disease specialists
Tualima, a versatile back-row forward who can also play in the second row, began his footy career playing for Brisbane City before joining the Reds in 2020.
He signed a two-year deal to join the Brumbies ahead of the 2025 season.
‘I’m thrilled to join the Brumbies, it is a club which has a proud rugby history,’ Tualima said last year.
‘The Club has produced so many high calibre players, so I’m pretty excited to connect with the staff and playing group and further my knowledge and skill set.’
