Tragedy as 'beloved’ rugby player, 25, who did not intend to end his own life found dead at home

A ‘beloved’ rugby player found dead at his home did not intend to end his own life, a coroner has ruled.

Rhys Horrocks, 25, was discovered in a ‘collapsed and unresponsive’ state at his family’s home in Ince, Wigan, on May 12 of this year. An inquest at Bolton Coroner’s Court on Tuesday heard that he had been ‘struggling’ to come to terms with a relationship break-up at the time.

Giving evidence, Rhys’s dad John Horrocks said that while Rhys was feeling 'down' about the break-up, there were ‘no warning signs’ that his son intended to end his life.

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Mr Horrocks described Rhys as ‘quiet’ and ‘well-liked’, adding that he had been a ‘phenomenal’ rugby league player. He told the hearing that Rhys had been picked up by Wigan Warriors at the age of 16 and had dreamed of playing professionally.

However, after studying at college, Rhys found work as a joiner. At the time of his death, he was working as a self-employed pointer and played rugby league for Spring View ARLFC.

The inquest heard that while Rhys had a background of ‘episodic low mood, anxiety and depression’, he had never previously expressed any thoughts of suicide. On the day of his son's death, Mr Horrocks said he had left home early for work before heading to the doctors for a medical procedure.

He said he did not see Rhys that day, but his wife informed him he had not gone into work. Mr Horrocks said he and his wife returned home at about 5pm and discovered that a family member had found Rhys hanged in a bedroom.

“It was unbelievable to us,” he said in a statement read out in court. “As a family, we can’t get our heads around what happened.”

Pathologist Dr David