Sharks dedicate ’emotional’ Lyon win to former player Hyron Andrews
'We will definitely dedicate this win to Hyron. You could see with the fight and relentlessness that the group had, it was something really special today.'
Head coach JP Pietersen honored the Sharks' narrow victory against Lyon by dedicating it to former player Hyron Andrews, who spent a decade at the Durban union before joining Sale Sharks and the Lions. Tributes have flooded in for Andrews, 31, who tragically died of cardiac arrest after being found unresponsive in a hotel spa cubicle in France the day before the Lions' Champions Cup match against La Rochelle.
The Sharks faced Lyon at the Stade de Gerland in an "emotional" Challenge Cup contest just hours before the match, with Andrews playing for both the Durban union and the Lions since 2014. Pietersen described the Sharks' win as special, not only due to the last-minute score but also because the team had not won a European match the previous season.
Lyon had previously eliminated the Sharks in the last-16 stage two seasons ago. The Sharks Rugby Club mourned Andrews' passing, expressing condolences to his family, friends, and team members. Pietersen praised his squad for their resilience and cohesion during the 80-minute battle with Lyon, crediting their fight for the victory.
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