The Belgian rugby world is in mourning following the sudden death of Warren Abrahams, the head coach of Belgium’s women’s rugby team.
Belgium Rugby, the sport’s governing body, announced that Abrahams, 43, died while with the national women's team at the Safari 7s tournament in Kenya.
In a message posted on social media, the federation said: "Warren was so much more than a coach — he was a mentor, a leader, and above all, a kind and generous human being. His smile, his wisdom, and the calm strength he brought to our team will never be forgotten."
The federation confirmed that the team has withdrawn from the tournament and has already returned to Belgium. Here, they will continue to receive psychological support "to help them process this personal loss".
A coaching career cut short
Abrahams, who was born in South Africa, was appointed head coach of the Wales women’s rugby team in November 2020, but left after nine months in the role.
From 2011 to 2019, he coached Harlequins' academy and went on to work on the sevens management teams with USA women and England men.
He also worked as a consultant at Brazil's women's sevens team before making the move to Belgium earlier this year.
