Body found in search of former England rugby player

A body has been found during the search for Tom Voyce, the former England rugby union international who is believed to have been killed after being swept away by flooding caused by Storm Darragh.

The discovery was made in the River Aln near Abberwick Mill, near Alnwick, Northumberland, four days after the 43-year-old’s car was swept into the water.

Northumbria Police confirmed that Voyce’s family – which includes his wife Anna and six-year-old son Oscar – had been informed and were being supported by specialist officers while they await formal identification of the body.

The force said in a statement on Thursday: “A body was sadly found today during the search for Tom Voyce.

“Concerns were raised for the former England rugby international on Sunday, after he failed to return home following an outing with friends the previous evening.

“It is believed the 43-year-old had entered the River Aln near Alnwick – after attempting to cross Abberwick Ford in his car.

“Extensive searches were then carried out by Northumbria Police and various partners including the National Police Air Service, North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team and Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team.

“Tom’s family and friends also took part in the search.

“These were carried out in very difficult conditions, particularly due to the flow of the river and the considerably high level following the exceptionally heavy rain over the weekend.

“Specialist officers from Northumbria Police’s marine unit made the sad discovery earlier today in the river near Abberwick Mill. Formal identification has not yet taken place, but Tom’s next of kin have been informed and are currently being cared for by specialist officers.

Superintendent Helena Barron, of Northumbria Police, said: “This is an extremely sad development and our thoughts continue to be with Tom’s loved ones. I would like to thank all our officers, partners and volunteers for their help throughout the search which was carried out in very difficult circumstances.

“We will continue to ask people to respect the family’s privacy at this time.”

The force added: “Officers do not believe there is any third party involvement and a report will be prepared for the coroner. »

The discovery came two days after police said Voyce was allegedly “swept away” and killed while trying to escape from a vehicle that was later recovered.

Sir Ian McGeechan led the tributes to the former England wing. McGeechan coached Voyce at Wasps between 2005 and 2009, a period which saw a Heineken Cup in 2007 and a Premiership title the following year.

“Tom was a great person to know, not to mention coach,” McGeechan said. Telegraph sport. “He was a quiet but truly committed player who contributed to the success of the Wasps team he was part of.

“He trained with no problems and was a good reader of the game – some of his best tries were scored after coming off his wing. I remember we were talking about the game and he was always willing to try things.

“He had a good relationship with Paul Sackey on the other wing – they challenged each other, which was great from a coach’s point of view because we were looking to get them involved and had named moves to get those two in the line at different places. He loved that challenge of arriving late on someone’s shoulder. I remember one of the moves was called “Prada” because Paul and Tom liked Knightsbridge.

“Voycey didn’t make many mistakes either. He covered kicks and made good decisions in important areas of the field. He was certainly a player who brought confidence to those around him and I really enjoyed my time coaching him.

Earlier this week, ahead of this latest update, former Wasps teammate Andy Goode was among those who posted messages of respect to Voyce, who won nine England caps between 2001 and 2006.

Lawrence Dallaglio echoed these sentiments. “This is the most horrible news and all I will say at this point is please let’s all respect Tom’s family and their suffering at this time and keep them in all our thoughts” , he said Wednesday.

Voyce’s wife Anna has already thanked the police, her friends and the local community for their help and support.

In response to Tuesday’s news, the England team’s official X account posted: “Our thoughts and prayers are with Tom Voyce’s family and friends at this extremely difficult time.”

Voyce won nine caps for his country, making his debut during their tour of the United States in 2001. He scored twice in their match at Twickenham against Samoa in 2005 and was an ever-present during the Six Nations Championship in the following year.

After starting his club career at Bath, Voyce joined Wasps in 2003 and was a key figure in their golden era under Warren Gatland and McGeechan, helping them to a famous Premiership and Heineken Cup double in 2004 , other championship titles in 2005 and 2008 and another. European crown in 2007.

He left for Gloucester in 2009, making a further 38 appearances in the Premiership before joining London Welsh for the 2012–13 season, after which he announced his retirement from rugby and began a career in banking.

The Wasps Legends Charitable Foundation said it was “in shock to hear the terrible news about Tom”, adding: “Our thoughts and prayers are with Tom’s family at this very difficult time.”

Bath wrote: “Our thoughts and prayers are with Tom Voyce’s family and friends at this incredibly difficult time. »

Premiership Rugby released: “Everyone at Premiership Rugby is devastated by the news regarding Tom Voyce. We send our thoughts and prayers to his family and friends.

Voyce moved from London to Northumbria in 2020 after starting a family, according to an interview with his wife Anna published the following year on the website of estate agent Paton & Co.

In it, she explains how she previously worked in television production for Sky Sports before moving into sports marketing, including heading the commercial operations team for the British and Irish Lions, with whom she toured three times.

She said the couple made the decision during the pandemic to move to her native Northumberland for the lifestyle and no longer needed to work as much in London, and she also spoke about the couple’s young son, Oscar, who her husband, according to her, had taken with him. play rugby on Sunday morning.

In playing for Gloucester and England, Truro-born Voyce followed in the footsteps of his great-uncle, Anthony Thomas Voyce, who made 27 appearances for his country in the 1920s.

He won three Grand Slam tournaments and was part of the British Isles team that toured South Africa in 1924. He later served as president of the Rugby Football Union from 1960 to 1961 and held the same role at Gloucester between 1970 and 1978.

He died a year before the birth of his great-nephew.