The French rugby community are grieving the loss of one of their own today, after a young second division player died during a friendly match yesterday.
Louis Fajfrowski, 21, of Pro D2 team Aurillac, died in the changing rooms, having been taken from the field after 60 minutes after a tackle.
The young centre was assessed by doctors in the team dressing room, reportedly losing consciousness throughout the night before passing away at 8pm local time.
Club legend Olivier Magne told radio station RMC that the side were devastated by the events.
"It's a whole club, a city, a department and all the French rugby that are affected, who are bereaved, it's a family member who went away, it's very sad for French rugby," he said.
"It is necessary to wait for the autopsy, do not draw an early conclusion.
"But there is an evolution [in] professional sports in general. We are going towards more speed, intensity, violence, there are more and more difficult contacts and they could be avoided.
"We will have to quickly provide answers."
Magne also said rugby must move towards "less violent" tackles.
He said more tackles were being launched "on the upper body with the shoulder at the level of the head".
"That causes a lot of KO [knockouts]."
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