Former Welsh rugby player Dan Singer, 48, has died while taking part in a charity cycle ride to raise money for a former teammate battling a brain tumour.
Porthcawl RFC, where Singer was a former player, said his death had brought the club "great sadness". Singer, who joined the club as a youth player in the 1990s, passed away on October 1 during the ride.
Charity ride in honour of former teammate
Singer was part of the RFC500 group, which set out to cycle over 500 miles from Scotland to London in just six days to raise money for The Royal Marsden and the Lewis Moody Foundation, in honour of Crawford Henderson, who is battling a brain tumour.
Following Singer's death, the riders cancelled the remainder of the cycle before completing a short ride to Rosslyn Park in his honour.
Tributes from clubs and podcast
Porthcawl RFC wrote in a statement shared to social media: "It is with great sadness that we share the news that our former player and friend, Dan Singer, tragically passed away recently while taking part in the RFC500 charity cycle ride."
"Dan joined the club as a youth player in the mid 1990s before going on to play senior rugby for several years while studying at university. He remained a friend of the club and always made time to visit when back in the area. We last saw Dan at the club last year, when he was home from Paris with his family for an international match in Cardiff."
The Good, The Bad & The Rugby podcast, hosted by James Haskell, Mike Tindall and broadcaster Alex Payne, also paid tribute. The podcast's social media account commented: "Our thoughts are with Dan’s wife Michelle, his family, friends and everyone at Rosslyn Park and the wider rugby community. Sending our deepest condolences to all who knew and loved Dan."
Rosslyn Park shared: "It is with profound sadness that we share the news that our former player and much-loved friend Dan Singer tragically passed away on Thursday while taking part in the RFC500 charity cycle ride in support of his former teammate Crawford Henderson."
Fundraiser exceeds £95,000
The charity cycle fundraiser has now raised more than £95,000 for the two charities, with people continuing to donate in Singer's memory.
One person donated and wrote: "Dan - one of the world’s good guys! You’ll be missed dearly." Another said: "Dan - it’s hard to find the words. You believed in me and gave me a chance, I am forever grateful and was lucky to call you a great friend."
"Dan Singer, you were doing something yet again for others", another added. "Your kindness, leadership and high standards are examples to all of us. Love you."
