Greig Oliver: Former Scotland player dies after paragliding accident
- Published
Greig Oliver playing for Scotland against Zimbabwe in 1991
Former Scotland scrum-half Greig Oliver has died after a paragliding accident while in South Africa to watch his son playing for Ireland in the World Rugby Under-20 Championship.
Hawick-born Oliver was the passenger in a tandem flight near Cape Town which crashed into another tandem paraglider.
South Africa's National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said the second glider returned to ground safely, and that Oliver's pilot landed in the sea after deploying a parachute, but that the Scot was found on rocks near the coast.
"Despite extensive CPR efforts he was sadly declared deceased by paramedics," read a statement about the incident, which happened on Sunday.
Oliver won three caps between 1987 to 1991 and went on to become an elite performance officer at Munster and was assistant coach with Ireland under-20s.
His son Jack, also a scrum-half, is an Ireland Under-20 international and his parents were in South Africa to support him.
"On behalf of the Irish rugby community, I would like to extend my sincere condolences to the Oliver family at this extremely sad time," said IRFU chief executive Kevin Potts.
"Greig was a hugely popular member of staff and played a key role in the development of many young players during his time at Munster Rugby.
"Today's news is an unspeakable tragedy and our thoughts are with Greig's wife Fiona, children Jack and Ciara, and his many friends, family and colleagues. May he rest in peace."
Munster and Scottish Rugby also expressed their condolences, with the former saying they were "all in a state of shock".
"Greig made his presence felt each day, he was always there to provide a helping hand and was a hugely popular character with his light-hearted nature and sense of humour," they added.
"He had an infectious enthusiasm for the game and was incredibly passionate about helping young players be the best they can be on and off the field. May he rest in peace."