Second British rugby player dies on Sri Lanka tour

A SECOND British amateur rugby player has died on tour in Sri Lanka after suffering breathing difficulties.

Durham City Rugby Football Club said it was with “great sadness” that they announced the passing of 26-year-old Tom Baty in a statement yesterday afternoon.

It follows the death of team-mate Thomas Howard, 25, after the pair were admitted to hospital in the city of Colombo on Sunday as a result of breathing difficulties.

Mr Howard’s death was confirmed in a club statement issued on Monday.

The players, both from Durham, were on tour with one of the club’s teams called the Clems Pirates.

The club requested that the privacy of their families should be “respected and upheld at this difficult time”.

Durham City had previously said that in both cases the players’ breathing problems were non-rugby related.

A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said it was assisting the families of two British men.