Lions lock Hyron Andrews dies at hotel before Champions Cup debut

Hyron Andrews, a 31-year-old lock forward for the Johannesburg Lions, was found unresponsive in a shower cubicle at the Atalante-Relais Thalasso hotel on Île de Ré near La Rochelle on Friday morning, 16 October 2026. Emergency services arrived shortly after 10:00 am and attempted to resuscitate him, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. SA Rugby confirmed in a statement that Andrews died following an accident in which he fell.

Andrews had joined the Lions this season after playing for Sale Sharks in England, where he made 45 appearances following his arrival in February 2024. Born in Paarl, South Africa, he attended Hoërskool Garsfontein in Pretoria and represented the Junior Springboks in 2015. He was married to Maighlin and had two sons, Hendrix and Emerson. The Lions were in France preparing for their inaugural Champions Cup match against La Rochelle, scheduled for Saturday.

Mark Alexander, president of South African Rugby, released a statement describing Andrews' death as "a devastating loss." Lions chief executive Rudolf Straeuli said Andrews was "a cherished member of our Lions family" and noted his recent arrival at the club. Sale Sharks director of rugby Alex Sanderson paid tribute, describing Andrews as "a brilliant guy and a brilliant team-mate" who was "a loving husband and a doting father."

The Lions decided to fulfil their fixture against La Rochelle in Andrews' honour. European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR), the tournament organiser, confirmed that a moment's silence would be held ahead of all opening-round matches in the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup that weekend. The incident occurred on 16 October, marking the tenth anniversary of the death of Munster coach Anthony Foley, who died in a Paris hotel room in 2016 on the eve of a European match against Racing 92, then coached by Ronan O'Gara—who is now La Rochelle's head coach.