The cause of death for New Zealand rugby player Kath Wharton has been confirmed, months after she was found dead in a McDonald’s parking lot, according to reports.
Wharton, a mother of four and former National Rugby League Women’s Premiership (NRLW) star, was 41 years old when she was discovered unresponsive in her car by her husband, Andrew, on Nov. 21, 2024, Fox Sports Australia reported. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to the New Zealand Herald, citing the coroner, Wharton died from sudden cardiac arrest while taking a nap in her vehicle after a long-haul flight from Japan. She had traveled to New Zealand to attend a rugby tournament.
Hannah Cheeseman, Associate Coroner at New Zealand’s Ministry of Justice, said a post-mortem confirmed Wharton’s cause of death late last week, Fox Sports Australia noted. Because no suspicious circumstances were involved, the death has been ruled natural causes.
At the time of her death, Wharton had COVID-19, Fox Sports Australia stated. Dr. Kilak Kesha, who conducted the post-mortem, suggested the virus may have contributed by potentially “unmasking” an underlying heart condition.
Wharton had recently been in Japan with her husband and daughter, the outlet reported. She returned home on a different flight from her family and team after staying behind to help a teammate’s child who lost her passport.
Her flight landed in Auckland before her husband’s, and she texted him at 12:10 p.m. local time, saying she planned to nap in the McDonald’s parking lot before picking him up. When she failed to arrive or respond to his messages, Andrew went to the location and found her unresponsive in the car. She was declared dead at 2:43 p.m.
Wharton represented New Zealand’s women’s rugby league team, the Kiwi Ferns, 14 times between 2008 and 2019, and also played three NRLW matches in 2019 for the Warriors, according to Radio New Zealand (RNZ).
As noted on the New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL) website, Wharton took a six-year break from rugby after competing in the 2013 World Cup to focus on her family and career. She later rejoined the Kiwi Ferns in 2019 at age 35 and signed with the Warriors for the NRLW’s second season that same year.
Outside of rugby, Wharton also worked with the health and wellbeing advocacy group Healthy Families NZ, Fox Sports Australia reported.
NZRL CEO Greg Peters reflected on her passing, saying through the league’s website:
“Hearing this news has shocked and saddened us deeply here at NZRL. Kath made such an immense contribution not only to the Kiwi Ferns jersey but to the community and the game of rugby league as a whole. Her passing will be felt by many, but we wish to pass our condolences to her whānau, friends, and of course the Northland community.”
