# Lions lock Hyron Andrews dies in France

> South African rugby player Hyron Andrews, 31, has died from suspected cardiac arrest while on tour with the Lions in France.
- Title: Lions lock Hyron Andrews dies in France · Daily Maverick
- Summary: South African rugby player Hyron Andrews, 31, has died from suspected cardiac arrest while on tour with the Lions in France. Hyron Andrews, a…
- Keywords: hyron andrews, lions rugby, champions cup, la rochelle, sale sharks, cardiac arrest, south africa, news, politics, Lions, lock, Hyron
- Source: Daily Maverick — https://dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-10-16-lions-lock-hyron-andrews-has-died-from-suspected-cardiac-arrest-condolences-pour-in
- Author: Craig Ray
- Published: 2026-10-16T17:30:57+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: hyron andrews, lions rugby, champions cup, la rochelle, sale sharks, cardiac arrest, south africa, news, politics
## Lock dies in France
South African rugby lock Hyron Andrews, thirty-one, has died in a hotel room in France from suspected cardiac arrest while the Lions prepared for their Champions Cup debut.
## Found unresponsive in shower
Andrews was found unresponsive in a shower cubicle on the Île de Ré, an island off France's western coast. Paramedics arrived shortly before ten thirty am and attempted resuscitation but were unsuccessful.
## Lions choose to play
The Lions squad decided to play their scheduled Champions Cup match against La Rochelle on Saturday, October seventeenth, twenty twenty-six, in honour of Andrews.

> The squad, as a group, have chosen to play tomorrow as planned in honour of their teammate.
## Moment of silence across rugby
European Professional Club Rugby will hold a moment's silence ahead of every Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup match this weekend in memory of Andrews.
## Lions express devastation
The Lions said Andrews was a valued member of their family who had recently joined the club this season.CEO Rudolph Straeuli extended deepest sympathies to Andrews' wife Maiglin and their young sons Hendrix and Emerson.

> This devastating news has sent shockwaves through the international rugby community.
## Career and background
Andrews, born in Paarl, attended Hoërskool Garsfontein in Pretoria and represented the Junior Springboks in twenty fifteen. He played for the KZN Sharks before joining Sale Sharks in England.
## Sale Sharks mourn former player
Andrews played forty-five times for Sale Sharks over two seasons before returning to South Africa to join the Lions at the end of the twenty twenty-five twenty twenty-six campaign.

> He was funny and charismatic in his own unique, dry way and the lads, to a man, loved playing with him and being around him.
## South African rugby community grieves
Saru president Mark Alexander said Andrews was a respected member of the rugby community whose contribution and impact will be remembered with great fondness. The entire South African rugby family's thoughts are with his family.

> His untimely passing is a devastating loss, and we share in the grief of all who knew and loved him.
## Key takeaway

Hyron Andrews, a thirty-one-year-old South African rugby lock, died from suspected cardiac arrest in a hotel room in France while preparing for the Lions' Champions Cup debut.