Verified November 10, 2026, at 1:10 p.m. UTC (UTC+00:00).
Ryan Ghietti was a former Northern Pride captain, the Cairns rugby league club’s most-capped player and an Italy international. Queensland Rugby League (QRL) has announced his death, prompting tributes to a player whose connection to Far North Queensland continued long after his playing career.
Ghietti, who was 37, made 165 appearances for the Pride, won a Queensland Cup premiership with the club in 2014 and became captain in 2016. The QRL’s tribute also credits him with 12 Tests for Italy and appearances at the 2013 and 2017 Rugby League World Cups.
Destaques
Ghietti was a rugby league player from Innisfail in Far North Queensland who became one of Northern Pride’s best-known figures. QRL says he began his rugby league journey with the Innisfail Leprechauns before building a career that took him from local football to the Queensland Cup and international competition.
He was known as a versatile player. An official QRL match report from 2018, for example, lists him at hooker. That role typically involves distributing the ball from dummy half after a tackle and helping organize the team’s attack around the middle of the field.
Former Pride coach Chris Sheppard’s successor, Joe O’Callaghan, is not identified in QRL’s tribute as the coach who brought him home. QRL instead attributes that recollection to former Pride coach and current QRL competitions manager Maiden, who said Ghietti returned to the club from Redcliffe, where he had been playing Colts. The tribute describes him as a proud Far North Queenslander who wanted to come home.
Ghietti’s 165 appearances make him the club’s most-capped player, Northern Pride said in the statement published by QRL. He is also recognized as Pride Player No. 64, a place in the club’s player history that identifies when he joined its senior ranks.
His contribution was visible in one of the club’s biggest matches. In the 2014 Queensland Cup grand final at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium, he scored a try as Northern Pride defeated Easts Tigers 36–4. The QRL match report lists Ghietti among the try scorers and records him on the Pride’s interchange bench.
The premiership was followed by his appointment as captain in 2016. Those milestones help explain why the club’s tribute emphasized both his on-field achievements and his sustained commitment. A long-serving captain can provide continuity across changing squads, and Ghietti’s record places him at the center of a significant period in Pride history.
His playing days eventually ended. In its 2019 season preview, QRL listed Ghietti among Northern Pride’s departures and described him as an experienced captain. The club said he remained a familiar supporter at home games afterward and kept ties with its past players.
Yes. Ghietti represented Italy in 12 Tests and was involved in the country’s 2013 and 2017 Rugby League World Cup campaigns, according to QRL. His international career gave a player closely associated with Far North Queensland the opportunity to compete on a world stage as well.
The World Cup connection is distinct from his club career: Italy was his representative team, while Northern Pride was the club for which he built his appearance record. Both were part of the story recognized in QRL’s tribute.
QRL announced Ghietti’s passing in a November 10 tribute that conveyed condolences to his family and friends. Northern Pride remembered his dedication to the club, his regular presence at home games and his connections with former teammates and colleagues in the Queensland Fire Department.
The North Queensland Cowboys also paid tribute, describing him as a friend, teammate and colleague to current and former players and staff. The club acknowledged his influence during a successful era for the Pride.
QRL’s announcement did not state a cause of death or provide funeral arrangements. Readers looking for further confirmed information should watch for updates from his family or the organizations directly involved. For now, the public record of his career offers a clear picture of why his loss has resonated: Ghietti was a premiership winner, international representative and longstanding member of the Far North Queensland rugby league community.
The club says he made 165 appearances, making him its most-capped player.
Yes. He scored a try in Northern Pride’s 36–4 victory over Easts Tigers in the 2014 Queensland Cup grand final.
He represented Italy in 12 Tests and played in its 2013 and 2017 Rugby League World Cup campaigns, according to QRL.
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