Eire’s under-20 rugby crew is going through a extremely emotional day after struggling two separate tragedies forward of an important match in opposition to Fiji within the World Rugby Championship.

Final evening one of many crew’s stars Jack Oliver learnt of the loss of life of his father, Grieg Oliver, after he was killed in a horrifying paragliding crash over Cape City. 

Oliver, 58, a former Scotland rugby worldwide, is believed to have drowned yesterday after being ‘bashed in opposition to the rocks’ following the freak accident which noticed him plunge down into uneven waves. 

Six of the U20s crew had attended Dublin’s St Michael’s School with Andrew and Max, who had been each aged 18. The youngsters had only in the near past completed on the college earlier than their tragic deaths. 

Lining up for the nationwide anthem forward of the crunch match this afternoon, grieving gamers stood arm-in-arm carrying black arm bands on the pitch at Danie Craven Stadium in South Africa.

Eire crew stand for the nationwide anthem carrying black bands in honour of Grieg Oliver and  two Irish college students, Andrew O’Donnell and Max Wall, at Danie Craven Stadium in South Africa

Munster rugby coach and former Scotland worldwide Greig Oliver, 58, (pictured) has died after a paragliding crash

Jack Oliver arrives at Danie Craven Stadium in South Africa forward of as we speak’s U20s match between Eire and Fiji. Jack discovered his father was killed in a paragliding accident yesterday

Current graduates Andrew O’Donnell (left) and his classmate Max Wall (proper), each 18 and from the identical college, died in separate tragic incidents over the weekend

Talking earlier than the announcement of Oliver’s loss of life, coach Richie Murphy stated his squad was ‘massively devastated’ on the deaths of the 2 boys.

‘I believe the blokes are undoubtedly in somewhat little bit of shock, very devastated clearly with what’s occurred,’ he stated.

‘I believe that is by the entire squad, clearly these guys know the younger boys rather a lot higher than among the different members. Everyone seems to be in the identical form of place the place it is shock. We have our physician available, he is taking care of the blokes.’

Murphy continued: ‘We have had various conversations with a few them and the blokes had been clearly very upset yesterday however undoubtedly feeling somewhat bit higher as we speak and possibly, not come to phrases with it, however clarified what’s occurring of their heads.’

Captain Diarmuid Mangan added: ‘Lots of lads in our squad would have identified the 2 boys.

‘Everyone seems to be simply type of attempting to get across the lads and ensure they’re doing all proper and so they’re being picked up. It is clearly an terrible tragedy and we provide our condolences to the 2 households.’

18-year-old college pupil Andrew O’Donnell, pictured with the household canine 

Tributes have been paid to the 2 youngsters, Andrew O’Donnell and Max Wall, as ‘vibrant, sporting, tutorial’ younger males

The 2 18-year-olds had been on a post-exam vacation celebrating the top of their secondary schooling with dozens of classmates who’ve now flown house as we speak after being left ‘traumatised’.

O’Donnell is believed to have fallen and hit his head whereas strolling house alongside some cliffs to his resort within the early hours of Saturday morning after an evening out in Hora, the capital of Ios.

O’Donnell’s physique was discovered on Sunday morning, and information of his loss of life later that day induced his buddy Wall to break down from shock. 

In keeping with native media the teenager had a historical past of coronary heart issues. 

The boys’ devastated dad and mom have travelled to Greece to deliver house their stays, whereas their traumatised classmates are returning to Eire through Bristol as we speak.

Hours later Jack Oliver discovered of the loss of life of his father Grieg Oliver in a paragliding crash.

Oliver, had been an elite efficiency officer at Irish rugby membership Munster, was simply 58 years previous. The proud father had been in South Africa to help his son Jack and the Eire squad in the course of the World Rugby U20 Championships.

Throughout a tandem flight from Sign Hill overlooking the coast of Cape City in South Africa, two pilots collided mid-air above Sea Level Promenade, a well-liked vacationer space. 

Oliver was reportedly a passenger throughout a tandem flight over the coast of Cape City in South Africa when his craft crashed into one other tandem paraglider. He performed for Scotland 3 times within the 80s and 90s

Heartbreaking photos have emerged of Jack Oliver, an Eire U20s rugby union participant, getting ready for a World Cup conflict in opposition to Fiji as we speak

The view paragliders get taking off from Lions Head and Sign Hill of Camps Bay beneath and the Twelve Apostles mountain vary

Rescue swimmers and paramedics at Rocklands Seashore, Cape City, who had recovered the physique of former Scottish scrum half Greig Oliver, 58.

Oliver’s pilot deployed a reserve parachute and landed safely within the sea, however Greig couldn’t recuperate from the crash and landed close to the coast.

An eye fixed-witness informed MailOnline: ‘I noticed a paraglider over the water deploy his second parachute about 50 metres up and 50 metres out to sea.

‘Each individuals fell into the water, and all of us ran in the direction of the wall. The waves had been large, and the 2 guys had been being bashed in opposition to the rocks.’

South African Grasp-gliding and Paragliding Affiliation (SAHPA) chairman Louis Stanford stated that Greig’s loss of life represents is the primary tandem fatality within the nation in over twenty years.

‘Usually these tandem operations are run safely in a strict set of parameters. This can be a very unhappy accident and the Civil Aviation Authority will probably be investigating.’

After the double tragedy for the Eire facet, a minute’s silence came about forward of their match in opposition to Fiji on the Dannie Craven stadium in Stellenbosch, and can happen in any respect the opposite championship fixtures this afternoon.

Jack Oliver was set to begin kind the bench this afternoon, however has now been taken out of the squad.