Death of Hyron Andrews on the island of Re: an open investigation, La Rochelle-Lions maintained

Hyron Andrews, 31, died on Friday 16 October in the hotel where the Lions of Johannesburg were staying on the island of Ré, before their meeting of Champions Cup against La Rochelle. The club confirmed the death of its second line and announced the continuation of the game, scheduled Saturday at 6.30 p.m., "in honour" of the player. An investigation into the causes of death has been initiated. [S1] [S4] [S6]

A discovery in a shower cabin

According to HERE La Rochelle, the rugbyman was discovered inanimate in a shower cabin of a hotel in Sainte-Marie-de-Ré. He was in cardiorespiratory arrest when the rescue arrived, who tried to revive him without success. France 24 and Le Matin report, citing a source close to the back, that the cabin was closed from the inside. These accounts concern the same death, which occurred during the Lions' movement to face the Stade Rochelais. [S10] [S6] [S8]

Some details remain discordant. RMC Sport, which quotes details from the prosecution, places the discovery by the rescue at 10:15; HERE La Rochelle indicates that they were called a little after 10:20. CNews places the shower in the spa space, while Nice-Matin evokes the player's room. These differences do not allow a chronology to be fixed at the minute or the exact location of the cabin. Several media also take up the information from ICI or AFP: their convergence does not constitute as many independent confirmations. [S1] [S10] [S5] [S7] [S6]

Causes of death not established

Arnaud Laraize, the public prosecutor in La Rochelle, confirmed to the AFP the opening of an investigation, stating that the hypothesis of accidental death was preferred. RMC Sport states that the investigations were entrusted to the gendarmerie brigade of Saint-Martin-de-Ré. An autopsy is announced; no results of this review are included in the information consulted. [S6] [S1]

RMC Sport also reports that Andrews had conducted a hammam session about an hour before his discovery and that no evidence of a third-party intervention had been identified. These evidences do not show that the hammam caused his death. The cardiorespiratory arrest describes the state in which it was found, without establishing its origin. Therefore, the information available does not allow a person or establishment to be held liable. [S1] [S6]

A supplement appears in the South African press: SA Rugby Magazine reports that a statement from the South African Federation evokes a fall at the hotel. This indication must remain assigned to the federation; the elements of the prosecution report by the French media do not specify such a mechanism. The investigation and autopsy remain necessary to clarify the circumstances of the death. [S12] [S1] [S6]

Lions choose to play in his memory

The first publications envisaged a postponement, but the subsequent announcement of the club removed this uncertainty: La Rochelle-Lions is held Saturday. The EPCR communiqué reproduced by FloRugby states that the staff has collectively chosen to play in tribute to their teammate. It does not detail the terms of this decision or the individual positions of the players. [S6] [S8] [S4] [S11]

A minute of silence will be observed before all Champions Cup and Challenge Cup matches of the weekend, according to the EPCR. In Sainte-Marie-de-Ré, the management of the Hôtel Atalante – Relais Thalasso told ICI La Rochelle that a psychological support unit had been set up for employees and members of the South African team. [S4] [S11] [S10]

A player recently returned to South Africa

Hyron Andrews had played at the Durban Sharks, then at the Sale Sharks in England, before joining the Lions this season. He had also represented South African youth teams. His return to the country preceded the beginning of the Johannesburg franchise in Champions Cup, whose match against La Rochelle must be the first match. [S1] [S12] [S4]

Married and father of young children, the player leaves a family for which the Lions have expressly demanded respect for privacy. The first articles had not published his identity, indicating that his relatives had not yet been notified. The announcement of his name by the club then made it possible to identify him publicly, without removing the uncertainties about the causes of his death. [S1] [S6] [S11]