Lions rugby player Rynhardt Andrews dies in France before Champions Cup match — The Guardian

Rynhardt Andrews, a rugby player for South African club Lions, died at the team hotel on the French island of Île de Ré on the eve of a Champions Cup match against La Rochelle. He was 31.

As The Guardian reports, emergency services were unable to resuscitate the athlete after an alarm was raised at the Atalante-Relais Thalasso hotel. The South African Rugby Union said Andrews died tragically in an accident in which he fell.

The match was decided to go ahead

The Lions team had been preparing for its debut match in Europe’s top club competition, which was due to take place on Saturday at Stade Marcel-Deflandre. The players decided to take to the field in memory of their teammate.

Tournament organiser European Professional Club Rugby said that a minute’s silence in memory of Andrews would be held before all Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup matches this weekend.

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The athlete’s career

Andrews played as a lock. In addition to the Johannesburg-based Lions, he represented KZN Sharks and English club Sale Sharks, for whom he made 45 appearances. In 2015, he also played for South Africa’s youth national team.

South African Rugby Union president Mark Alexander expressed condolences to the player’s family and the Lions rugby community. Lions said it was deeply saddened by Andrews’ death and offered condolences to his wife Meighlin, children Hendricks and Emerson, and the entire family.

Sale Sharks director of rugby Alex Sanderson called Andrews an excellent teammate and said that the player and his family had made Manchester their second home.