Ricky Bibey: Former Wigan, St Helens & Wakefield prop dies aged 40
- Published
Ricky Bibey was a substitute in St Helens and Wigan Challenge Cup triumphs
Tributes have been paid to former Wigan Warriors prop Ricky Bibey, who has been named by Italian media as the Briton found dead in a Florence hotel.
He won the Challenge Cup twice, with his first club Wigan in 2002 and two years later with rivals St Helens.
Bibey, who was 40, also played for Leigh, Oldham and Wakefield in a career that spanned more than 10 years.
"All our thoughts are with Ricky's friends and family at this terrible time," St Helens said.
The man was found by hotel staff alongside a seriously injured 43-year-old woman, thought to be his partner.
Bibey had three spells at Leigh, where he was born, between 2003 and 2012.
"Ricky feared no-one on a rugby pitch and always did the hard yards when you needed them and never shirked a challenge," said Leigh's player welfare manager and Bibey's former team-mate Ste Maden.
"That's what made him such a popular player with his team-mates, because he had everyone's back, and he left it all on the pitch."
Allow X content?
This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
Allow X content?
This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
Allow X content?
This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
The tale of The Beast v The Mountain: Eddie Hall's journey to a climactic showdown with his bitter rival Thor Bjornsson
How to never lose a penalty shootout: Can Greg and Bella find out how to score the perfect penalty before the summer holidays?
