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Edinburgh vs Lions to go ahead on Friday a week after Hyron Andrews' death

Edinburgh have confirmed the URC fixture at the Hive stands for Friday 23 October, a week after the 31-year-old lock was found unresponsive at the team hotel.

Follow-up to French prosecutor investigates Hyron Andrews death as suspected accident

By RuckBee Newsroom1 min read
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The Lions will play their next match exactly a week after Hyron Andrews died. Edinburgh have confirmed that Friday's URC game between the two sides at the Hive will go ahead on Friday 23 October 2026 as planned.

Andrews, a lock, died suddenly at the age of 31. On the morning of Friday 16 October he was discovered unresponsive at the hotel where the Lions were staying, on the Île de Ré.

The Johannesburg side went ahead with their Champions Cup match against La Rochelle the following day, Saturday 17 October, and lost 31-14.

Not everyone was convinced the players should have taken the field. "I just can't see how those lads can play a rugby game, safely. I just can't," Chris Ashton said.

Now the squad face a second match within a week of their teammate's death. "We’ve been saying this since it happened: there’s no manual for this," Julian Redelinghuys said.

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