Lions Lock Hyron Andrews Dies at French Hotel Before Club's Champions Cup Debut

South African rugby player Hyron Andrews died Friday at a hotel on the French island of Île de Ré, prompting local prosecutors to open a death investigation as his team prepared to play La Rochelle.

Emergency responders were summoned shortly after 10 a.m. to the Atalante-Relais Thalasso hotel, where paramedics found the 31-year-old forward in cardiac arrest inside a shower cubicle. Resuscitation efforts at the scene proved unsuccessful after emergency personnel gained access to the locked cubicle.

The Johannesburg Lions decided to proceed with Saturday's opening fixture against La Rochelle in Andrews's honour. The match marks the South African franchise's debut in the European Champions Cup following their inclusion in the competition.

"He was not only a gifted rugby player, but also a cherished member of our Lions family having recently joined us this season," said Rudolf Straeuli, chief executive of the Lions.

"This is terrible and distressing news; our hearts go out to Hyron's family and the whole Lions rugby community," said Mark Alexander, president of the South African Rugby Union.

SA Rugby said Andrews died following a fall during an accident at the team hotel. The touring squad had stayed at the island retreat since Tuesday ahead of their meeting with the French side.

Arnaud Laraize, the public prosecutor in La Rochelle, told The Associated Press that Andrews completed a steam room session roughly one hour before he was found. He was subsequently discovered inside a shower cubicle that had been locked from the inside.

Laraize said investigators found no indication of third-party involvement and were treating an accidental death as their primary theory. Entourage members reported that the player had shown no health problems in the preceding days.

European Professional Club Rugby directed that a minute of silence be observed before every Champions Cup and Challenge Cup match this weekend. The tournament organizers announced the tribute to honour Andrews across all opening fixtures.

"Hyron was just a brilliant guy and a brilliant teammate. He was so skilled on the field but, off it, he was always someone you would want to have a beer with," said Alex Sanderson, director of rugby at Sale Sharks.

Andrews had returned to South Africa during the summer after completing two seasons in England with Sale Sharks. He made 45 appearances for the English club after initially arriving on a short-term contract in February 2024.

Born in Paarl, Andrews attended Hoërskool Garsfontein in Pretoria before representing the Junior Springboks at the youth international level in 2015. He later spent several seasons with the Durban Sharks in Super Rugby and the United Rugby Championship.

The Lions traveled to France following a 57-15 domestic league defeat against their South African rivals, the Bulls. They had previously won two of their first three matches this season, including an opening victory against Leinster.

Andrews died 10 years to the day after former Munster coach Anthony Foley died in a Paris hotel room ahead of a European fixture. Foley passed away in his sleep from a heart condition before a scheduled match against Racing 92.

La Rochelle head coach Ronan O'Gara, who worked on the Racing 92 coaching staff when Foley died in 2016, visited the Lions' hotel to offer condolences to the touring squad, The Irish Examiner reported.

While Goal.com reported that Andrews fell from the hotel, French authorities and local police confirmed that emergency workers found him inside a locked indoor shower cubicle.

French authorities plan an autopsy to determine the official cause of death, as the Lions prepare to play Saturday at Stade Marcel Deflandre without their veteran second row.