Promising Ireland player Spence killed in farm accident - report

16 Sep 2012, 2:08 pm   -   Source: Reuters

The 22-year-old, who played centre for Irish province Ulster, had been brought into the wider training group for the Ireland team during the 2012 Six Nations but had not made his full debut.

The 22-year-old, who played centre for Irish province Ulster, had been brought into the wider training group for the Ireland team during the 2012 Six Nations but had not made his full debut.

He had played three games for the second tier Ireland Wolfhounds.

Spence was killed when he, two other men and a woman, who the BBC reported as being his father, older brother and sister, fell into a slurry tank on their family farm in Northern Ireland.

A slurry tank contains animal waste and other biodegradable material that is turned into organic fertiliser.

All four were pulled out of the tank, but the three men died, the Irish Times reported the local ambulance service as saying. The woman was taken to hospital for treatment.

Spence had an injury-blighted start to the current season and played for the Ulster Ravens against Munster A on Friday as he worked his way back to full fitness.

News of Spence's death was rapidly spread throughout the Twittersphere with All Blacks flyhalf Daniel Carter, world golf number one Rory McIlroy and Wales winger George North all tweeting their condolences.

(Reporting by Greg Stutchbury in Wellington; Editing by Nick Mulvenney)

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