Hyron Andrews died of natural causes, autopsy finds
An autopsy has found that Hyron Andrews, the Johannesburg Lions lock, died of natural causes. He was 31.
A lock is one of the tall forwards in a rugby union team. They win much of the ball at lineouts, the set piece where players throw the ball back into play from the sideline, and they push hard in the scrum.
BBC Sport reports that the post-mortem found a tear in his aorta. The aorta is the main artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body. The tear allowed blood to fill the sac around his heart.
Andrews was found unconscious in a shower cubicle. Investigators had considered a fall, a heart attack and an aneurysm, which is a weakened and swollen part of a blood vessel. An aneurysm was later confirmed. Earlier reports said he had died at the team hotel in France, where the Lions were staying ahead of their match, and that he had been found in cardiac arrest, when the heart stops beating effectively.
He had joined the Lions in the summer. Before that, he had built his career in Europe. He first arrived at Sale Sharks in England on a short-term deal from the Durban-based HollywoodBet Sharks towards the end of the 2023/24 season. Sale announced in July 2025 that he had signed a new one-year contract.
His wife, Maighlin, is left with their two young sons. In a statement issued through the Lions, she asked for respect, privacy and patience as his repatriation, the process of bringing him home, to South Africa begins.
The Lions played their Champions Cup match against La Rochelle in his memory. There was a minute's silence before kick-off. Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson paid tribute to him, saying the team had loved playing with him. Sale published its own tribute on 16 October.
Sale were in action the following day, when they lost 27-47 to Glasgow Warriors. They had led 12-0 early on, and their match report described Andrews as a former Shark who had died the day before.
Andrews's death has left clubs across two hemispheres in mourning. His family's request for privacy is one that many fans have said they will respect.
