The popular rookie Super 14 player died with his parents and his girlfriend by his side in a Durban hospital at about 11am Australian time yesterday morning.

He was 26.

A spokeswoman for St Augustine's Hospital in Durban said Mackay had suffered an infection that had led to a drop in his blood pressure before he went into fatal cardiac arrest.

Brumbies captain Stephen Hoiles told The Canberra Times yesterday that the tight-knit club was devastated.

"This is the greatest challenge this group will ever face and to be honest I don’t know if we’ll ever get over it," he said.

Mackay had been in hospital since he was hit by a security car outside a Durban nightclub in the early hours of March 29. He suffered multiple fractures, face lacerations and a fractured spine, which required surgery.

His sudden deterioration and death came as a deep shock to Mackay's family and friends, who had been earlier heartened by positive developments in his health.

He had been responsive to questioning after being brought out of a medically induced coma last week.

Late yesterday afternoon, Mackay's griefstricken teammates arrived at Canberra airport.

They had been told the news of his death only a few hours earlier when coach Andy Friend gathered them together on their plane after arriving at Sydney airport. Mackay had died while they were in the air between Johannesburg and Sydney.

Friend said in a statement at the airport, "It is the worst possible news ... we have taken the news very, very hard.

"His passing is a tragedy. On behalf of the Brumbies I would like to say to Shawn’s family and his partner Trish, we share your loss, and our love and our prayers are with

you as we seek to come to terms with his passing."

As they walked silently into the Canberra terminal, the shattered players were greeted by club staff and the injured Hoiles.

For more, pick up a copy of today's Canberra Times