Lions player found dead at team hotel ahead of Champions Cup tie with La Rochelle

A member of the Lions squad was found dead at the team’s hotel on Île de Ré before the South African side’s Champions Cup game against La Rochelle on 16 October 2026. Emergency services were unable to revive the player after he was discovered unconscious in a shower, and the Lions have been informed.

The player is understood to have reportedly suffered a cardiac arrest and was found at the Atalante-Relais Thalasso hotel. European Professional Club Rugby said the player’s family are being informed but no further details have been released. Lions players and staff have been told and are receiving support from the club.

An alarm was raised at the hotel and emergency responders attended, but the unnamed player could not be revived. The club has not made the player’s identity public as of the statement issued by the tournament organisers.

The Lions had flown to Europe after a heavy 57-15 defeat by the Bulls and were preparing to make their debut in the top-tier tournament this weekend. Their scheduled Champions Cup match was against La Rochelle.

European Professional Club Rugby confirmed it was handling family notifications and said it had not released additional information. The organisation’s statement was the only official comment on the circumstances in the immediate aftermath.

The incident coincides with the 10th anniversary of the death of Munster coach Anthony Foley in 2016, who died in a Paris hotel room at age 42. Foley died in his sleep on the eve of a European tie against Racing 92 after a heart condition caused fluid to build up in his lungs, and tributes are due to be paid prior to this weekend’s game against Racing in Cork, with Munster players set to wear commemorative presentation jackets featuring the club crest and the number eight, Foley’s position.

The Lions were due to make their Champions Cup debut this weekend against La Rochelle.