French rugby is in mourning after the news that legendary winger Christophe Dominici has died at the age of 48.
The news was confirmed this afternoon, with French media saying he died "suddenly".
Dominici won 65 caps for France between 1998 and 2007, scoring 25 tries.
The winger was part of the French squad that reached the 1999 Rugby World Cup final, scoring a try in their famous win versus New Zealand in the semi-finals.
He also won the Five/Six Nations Championship on four occasions with France, as well as five French titles with Stade Francais.
After starting his career at La Valette, Christophe Dominici joined Toulon in his early 20s, before joining Stade Francais in 1997, where he played for 11 seasons.
A legend of @FranceRugby and an all-time great of the game 🇫🇷
Rest In Peace, Christophe Dominici 🙏 pic.twitter.com/ByVRkoA2mt— World Rugby (@WorldRugby) November 24, 2020
The graceful winger made his test debut versus England in the 1998 Five Nations Championship, scoring a try in their 24-17 win.
His final appearance for Les Bleus came in the 2007 World Cup third-place playoff, when they were beaten by Argentina.
His former club Stade Francais confirmed the news, with a statement - translated into English - reading:
"It is with immense sadness and deep heartbreak that Stade Français Paris learns of the death of Christophe Dominici. International 65 times, his exploits in the blue jersey will have dazzled thousands of young rugby players and allowed the French team to write some of the most beautiful pages of its history.
"Rugby genius and peerless companion, he leaves a great void in our big family. Our hearts go out to his family, his partner Loretta, his daughters Chiara and Mia."
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