His name was Hyron Andrews: this South African player from the Johannesburg Lions was found dead on Friday in his hotel on the Ile de Ré, on the eve of a Champions Cup rugby match against La Rochelle which was held “in his honor”.
From a source close to the case, the second line, aged 31, was found in cardio-respiratory arrest in the hotel on the island of Ré (west) where his franchise is housed, in a shower cubicle closed from the inside, AFP learned, confirming information from Ici La Rochelle.
The public prosecutor of La Rochelle, Arnaud Laraize, confirmed to AFP that he had opened an investigation into the causes of death, adding that the hypothesis of an accidental death was favored.
Despite this death, the match will be held, “in honor” of the player, announced Friday his franchise, which is participating in the Rugby Champions Cup for the first time in its history.
The Champions Cup, the main club competition in Europe, has welcomed the South African franchises since the 2022-2023 season, which play in the same championship as the Irish, Welsh, Scottish and Italian teams.
A minute of silence will be observed before all Champions Cup and Challenge Cup matches, the small European cup, scheduled for this weekend, announced the EPCR, which organizes these competitions.
The second row with a very strong physique (2.03 m, 108 kg) had spent a large part of his career in South Africa, in the Durban Sharks franchise, from 2015 to 2024. He then played in England, arriving in February 2024 in Sale where he spent a little over two seasons.
This summer, Hyron Andrews, married and father of two children, returned to South Africa to play with the Lions province, with whom he played the first three championship matches, the last of which as a starter.
He has never been selected with the Springboks, double reigning world champions, but had played with the South African youth teams.
“Hyron was a respected member of the rugby community,” wrote the South African Rugby Federation in a press release mentioning the “contribution to the game” of this specialist player on the touchline and his “influence on those around him”.
“This tragic news caused shock waves in the international rugby community (…). He was an esteemed member of the Lions family,” also paid tribute to his frankness.
This death comes ten years to the day after that of the coach of the Irish province of Munster, Anthony Foley, who died in the Paris region before a match against Racing 92. His province will pay tribute to him on Saturday evening during the match against the Paris region.
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