Czech Rugby League is in mourning following the sudden death of RLC Krupka Dragons and Czech international player Vaclav 'Venca' Fischer.

Vaclav, aged 34, was a founding member of the Dragons club in 2011 and a mainstay in the Czech national team. He was also a prominent member of the Prague Vikings squad that reached the 2012 Czech Grand Final.

He died from heart failure at his home after spending 2015 trying to regain fitness following a car accident that tragically would later claim the life of his daughter Barborka. He leaves a wife Peta.

Former Czech Development Officer Andrew Mulhall said: “Venca was a leader in Czech RL development and domestic play. He trained hard off the field and on it he led the way in setting higher standards - he ran hard, he ran straight, he ran often and he did big minutes. He was a great role model for all young rugby league players, in the Republic or anywhere else in the world. He was a fantastic friend, a great father and husband. This is hard to comprehend.”

RLC Krupka Dragons will host a Memorial Game featuring players from all 11 Czech clubs on Saturday 28 November in Venca's memory. The Czech Rugby League Association will make an announcement in early 2016 with their plans to honour such a stalwart.