Former New Zealand Warriors five-eighth turned social media personality Chad Townsend has endured a health scare after fainting on a flight to the United States ahead of Sunday’s NRL season opener in Las Vegas.
The 35-year-old was on a flight from Sydney to Los Angeles when he became ill andrequired medical treatment in the air before receiving further help once on the ground.
Despite the scare, Townsend, who played 46 games for the Warriors across two stints, eventually made it to Sin City.
Speaking to Sydney radio station SEN, Townsend said he started feeling sick two hours into the 14-hour flight and described it as a “scary” moment.
“I just was sitting in my seat on the flight and I started to get some hot and cold flushes and I was like, ‘Jeez, I don’t feel great’,” Townsend said.
“I got up to go to the toilet and next minute I woke up and I was on the floor with an oxygen mask on my face. I was confused as I didn’t know what had happened and I was getting some oxygen, and my blood pressure was through the roof.
“The only thing we can put it down to is just the altitude and some dehydration on the aircraft. So yeah, quite scary for myself, but look, I’m safe.”
Townsend said he was fortunate there was a doctor on the flight and a nurse, who is the wife of Newcastle Knights great Kurt Gidley.
“It was a bit scary, to be honest,” Townsend said.
Chad Townsend. Photo / Getty Images
“As we started to descend into LA, my blood pressure sort of started to come back to normal and then as we landed, they got the paramedics to come on board and help me off the plane.
“I walked off the plane on my own accord and then got off and then did all my blood pressure and got it all tested again and I was back to normal once I was on the ground.”
Townsend played 268 games across his career at four different clubs, with the highlight being winning the 2016 NRL premiership with the Cronulla Sharks.
He played 41 games for the Warriors in 2014-15, then returned for a further five matches in 2021 when the Warriors were based in Australia for the entire season.
Townsend retired at the end of the 2025 season, and has turned his attention to podcasting among other things.
This is the third year the NRL season has begun the season in Sin City as part of a push to grow the game globally. Last year, the Warriors played in Las Vegas, but it was a moment to forget, as they were hammered 30-8 by the Canberra Raiders.
The Knights face the North Queensland Cowboys in the season-opener at Allegiant Stadium, followed by the Canterbury Bulldogs squaring off with the St George Illawarra Dragons.
