South African rugby mourns Lions lock Hyron Andrews, 31, who died at the team hotel ahead of Saturday's Champions Cup clash in La Rochelle.
South African rugby is in mourning after Johannesburg Lions lock Hyron Andrews died at the team's hotel in La Rochelle, France. He was 31. The Lions were in the city for a Champions Cup match against La Rochelle on Saturday.
Andrews was found dead at the hotel before the fixture. The circumstances have not been detailed, and speculation has no place here while the club, the family and the relevant authorities do their work.
A big, hard-working second-row, Andrews was part of the Lions squad that took South African rugby onto one of European club rugby's biggest stages. For a team traveling to France to test itself against some of the best clubs on the continent, this is a devastating blow.
Teammates, coaches, supporters and the wider rugby community across Africa will be feeling this loss deeply. Our thoughts are with Andrews's family, friends and everyone at the Lions.
