Special tribute for Welsh rugby player who collapsed and died during training session

More than 100 members of a rugby club came together to pay tribute on Wednesday following the death of one of their players during a practice session earlier this week.

Lee Southall, 36, was playing a game of tag rugby at local club Hollybush RFC near Blackwood on Tuesday when he started coughing and collapsed.

The father, partner, and long-serving rugby player, who was part of the club for more than a decade, died during a friendly practice session.

Members of the club, including Lee's family, gathered on the pitch on Wednesday evening for a group huddle and moment of reflection.

Flowers, notes and a can of his favourite cider were placed under the posts at one end of the pitch.

Mr Southall was offered water by players when he started coughing during the game but he then collapsed further to the floor. Realising something was wrong, players started calling for help from passers-by and rang the emergency services.

Despite players and paramedics performing CPR, he was later pronounced dead.

He was fondly referred to as the "people's captain" by teammates, many of whom left notes on the pitch paying tribute.

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In a statement, Hollybush RFC said: "Everyone associated with Hollybush RFC is deeply saddened at the passing of [our] long serving player, affectionately known as ‘the peoples captain'."

They added on Facebook: "Lee has been an immeasurably large part of our club for well over a decade and will leave a huge hole right in the centre of it. Which is where he spent most of his time, as the centre of attention.

"There aren’t many individuals in life that could lift an entire room or an entire team just by their presence, but Lee was one of those."

The club said Lee "will be so so missed by all that had the immense pleasure of knowing him."

A Gwent Police spokesperson said: "We received a report of a medical emergency at the Hollybush Recreational Ground, near Blackwood, at around 8.20pm on Tuesday, June 11. Officers attended along with paramedics from the Welsh Ambulance Service who declared a 36-year-old man dead at the scene. The death is not being treated as suspicious and a report will be submitted to the coroner."

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