Former Gold Coast Titans under-20 and Burleigh Bears hooker Zae Wallace in fight for his life

The Gold Coast rugby league community is in shock as tenacious former Burleigh hooker Zae Wallace fights for his life.

THE Gold Coast rugby league community is in shock as tenacious former Burleigh hooker Zae Wallace fights for his life.

News has emerged of the sudden illness that has struck down the 20-year-old, who is on a ventilator in Auckland City Hospital.

Wallace was hit by pneumonia and a subsequent infection. He spent time on the Gold Coast with the Titans under-20s before last year graduating to Burleigh, where he made his Intrust Super Cup debut.

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He returned to his native New Zealand in the off-season and linked up with the Northcote Tigers; his Bears 2018 A-grade coach Stuart Wilkins was full of praise for the diminutive hooker.

Zae Wallace last year at Pizzey Park. Picture: Richard Gosling

“The first thing I knew about it was this morning’s post on Facebook that he is quite ill, which is quite surprising because he was fit and really strong and robust for his size,” said Wilkins, who is coaching an under-16 team at Burleigh this season.

“He was really good last year for us and I was disappointed to see that he wasn’t here again this year.

“There’s no question about it, Zae is a character and everyone would say that about him.

“It has certainly taken us by surprise and I wish him all the best.”

A fundraising page was created on Wednesday to support Wallace’s recovery, with more than 200 people already donating a total upwards of $10,000.