Rugby league player Zane Purcell, who died at Ballina on Sunday, seen here with his daughter.

Rugby league player Zane Purcell, who died at Ballina on Sunday, seen here with his daughter. Photo: Facebook

A player has died during a rugby league game at Ballina on the NSW North Coast.

Zane Purcell, 29, was playing for the Lower Clarence Magpies' reserve grade in their 2pm match against the Ballina Seagulls at Kingsford Smith Park on Sunday when he was involved in an awkward tackle shortly into the game.

Magpies club president Steve Austine said he died in hospital.

"All I can say is a player went in for a tackle, had a head clash, and he's just fallen over," he said.

Tributes flowed for the father-of-two on Facebook on Sunday evening, with teammates and family members extending their sympathies to his wife and young children.

In a statement, the Country Rugby League sent its condolences and said it would provide counselling for Mr Purcell's family and both teams.

Bystanders, including an off-duty paramedic, came to his aid when he fell and performed CPR before an ambulance arrived.

A spokeswoman for the NSW Ambulance Service said they were called to reports that a player had collapsed.

"CPR was commenced on scene by an off-duty paramedic," the spokeswoman said.

"The man was rushed to Ballina Hospital in a critical condition."

A spokeswoman for Ballina Hospital could not comment.

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