The tributes have poured in for Hyron Andrews from across the rugby fraternity after the death of the Lions second-row on Friday at the age of 31.
There were emotional scenes ahead of the Lions’ Round One Investec Champions Cup encounter against La Rochelle at the Stade Marcel-Deflandre on Saturday.
Shortly before the match got underway, a moment of silence was impeccably observed, and some Lions players shed tears while paying their respects to their former teammate.
A number five shirt formerly worn by Andrews was placed on the field, and his face was shown on the big screen at the stadium.
Initial reports on Friday stated that a player from the Lions was found dead in the team’s hotel in France before the Johannesburg-based club subsequently released a statement confirming his identity.
Furthermore, the Lions decided to honour Andrews by opting not to postpone Saturday’s Champions Cup fixture against La Rochelle which the home side eventually won 31-14.
Lions head coach Ivan van Rooyen said the decision to play, and the reaction it provoked, spoke volumes about the man they had lost.
‘He was a humble, gentle guy who people gravitated towards’
“The responses from all over the world on the team’s decision to play speaks to the man Hyron was,” he said. “He was a humble, gentle guy who people gravitated towards. He had the ability to pull people closer together.
“The team’s decision to play also speaks to the character of the team, the deep care for each other. The willingness to sacrifice self for a greater good.”
Van Rooyen also mentioned the remarkable support his team received from their hosts and the local community.
“The hotel staff were unbelievable the whole week; they are truly world-class,” he said.
“On the Friday of Hyron’s passing, La Rochelle owner Vincent Merking, CEO Pierre Veneyre and head coach Ronan O’Gara all visited the hotel.
“Five players from La Rochelle also visited. The three South African players, Salmaan Moerat, Dillyn Leyds and David Kriel, were there all Friday afternoon.
“The respect from the crowd and staff was flabbergasting. The continuous applause from arrival to departure is something to be proud of.”
Andrews started his professional rugby career with fellow South African United Rugby Championship club the Sharks and represented the Durban-based outfit from 2015 to 2024.
The Sharks clinched a 40-33 away win over Lyon in the EPCR Challenge Cup on Saturday and after the match their head coach, JP Pietersen, paid tribute to Andrews.
‘We’ll definitely dedicate this win to Hyron’
“Today is a really special one, not just the rugby, but also with Hyron passing away yesterday,” he said. “It’s quite emotional. We’ll definitely dedicate this win to Hyron.”
Andrews also represented Sale Sharks from 2024 to 2026, before joining the Lions earlier this year, and the PREM Rugby outfit’s director of rugby Alex Sanderson also paid an emotional tribute to Andrews ahead of his side’s 47-27 Champions Cup loss to Glasgow Warriors at the CorpAcq Stadium on Saturday.
“It’s still quite emotional just talking about him, thinking about him,” Sanderson told Premier Sports. “Because he originally came for six months on a trial that helped us out when we were injury-stricken and he ended up staying for over two years and it was much about the bloke as much as it was the player.
“Lads just gravitated towards him and he had a really good energy around the training ground, obviously on the field but off it he was quite dry, very charismatic in his own right.
“So, we loved him and we continue to love his wife Maiglin, Hendrix his oldest (son), Emerson his youngest. I know the lads were talking to Maiglin last night, to Hendrix this morning and as a group clearly, we’re grieving together.
“Individually, you get over it in your own way, in your own time but it’s not something we want to weaponise or anything like that, it’s just more acknowledgement and a celebration of the time that he had here, that’s what we want to get to in time but it’s going to take a bit of time.”
.@SaleSharksRugby Director of Rugby Alex Sanderson pays a touching tribute to Hyron Andrews, reflecting on the impact he had both on and off the pitch
“It was about the bloke as much as it was about the player… we loved him.” https://t.co/pWIjva7vrT
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) October 17, 2026
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Meanwhile, Montpellier and former England number eight Billy Vunipola also paid homage to Andrews in the build-up to the Top 14 club’s 32-14 Champions Cup win over Bath at the Recreation Ground on Saturday.
“I just want to send my condolences to Hyron Andrews’ family,” he told Premier Sports. “Sometimes we forget that rugby is just a game and I just want to send my condolences to his wife and his kids.
“And to the people out there, just say to someone that you haven’t said to in a long time that you love them. Now is your chance.”
READ MORE: Lions player dies in hotel ahead of Champions Cup clash – report