La Rochelle fans honour Lions lock Hyron Andrews after his sudden death at team hotel

La Rochelle supporters paid a moving tribute to Lions lock Hyron Andrews on Saturday, lining the approach to the stadium to applaud a visibly grief-stricken Lions squad before a Champions Cup fixture that had been in serious doubt just 24 hours earlier.

Andrews, 31, was found dead at the Johannesburg side’s hotel in France on the eve of the match following an accident on the premises. The news cast an immediate shadow over the scheduled tie, with the two clubs holding discussions on Friday before agreeing the game would go ahead.

Inside the stadium, a minute’s silence was observed and Andrews’ shirt was placed at the centre of the pitch. Several members of the South African contingent were visibly in tears during the ceremony. In the fifth minute of the match — Andrews’ squad number — supporters broke into a sustained round of applause in his memory.

La Rochelle went on to win the contest 31-14, though the scoreline felt secondary to the circumstances surrounding the occasion. The solidarity shown by the French club’s supporters and the dignity with which both sets of players conducted themselves drew widespread praise.