Rugby fans pay tribute to Munster coach found dead in team hotel

Rugby fans and members of the public have paid personal tributes to former Ireland and Munster star Anthony Foley.

The 42-year-old head coach was found dead in the province’s team hotel in Paris on Sunday, hours before the team were due to take to the pitch in theeuropeanchampionscup.

As messages of sympathy flooded in from across the world of sport and further afield, books of condolence were being opened across Munster and Irish flags were lowered to half-mast.

A makeshift shrine was formed at Thomond Park, 0 Anthony Foley was found dead in the team’s hotel home of Munster Rugby, where Foley had some of his finest performances.

“Axel” Foley, a back-row and fan favourite No 8, was a record-breaking try-scorer in hisdaysintheredjersey.hefollowed in his father Brendan’s footsteps and ultimately emulated his on-pitch success.

Foley played for Ireland 62 times, scoring a try against England on his debut in 1995 in the Five Nations, as it was then.

He also led Munster to their first European Cup victory in 2006 after years of heartbreak in top flight competition. Within a couple of years he was central to the province’s repeat success.

He is survived by his wife, Olive, and their children. Among the grief-stricken messages posted online in the wake of Foley’s death were some from former Munster teammates.