France's Christophe Dominici scores a try during their Rugby World Cup match against Fiji at Lang Park Stadium in Brisbane on October 10, 2003. Picture: Jacky Naegelen / Reuters
PARIS - Former French rugby international Christophe Dominici has been found dead at the age of 48 in a park near Paris, police and other sources said on Tuesday.
Dominici, who played 67 times for France, was seen by a witness jumping from a disused building in the Saint-Cloud park, police said.
The diminutive Dominici - he was 1.72m and 82kg - scored 25 tries in 67 Tests for France, including eight tries across three World Cups.
His greatest moment, arguably, came in the 1999 World Cup semi-final against New Zealand when his second-half try, skating down the left touchline, sparked a remarkable comeback from the French who went on to seal their place in the final.
Dominici also enjoyed a glittering club career, first with Toulon, where he was born, and then at Stade Francais with whom he won the French championship five times.
He returned to the public eye in the summer when he fronted an Emirates-based bid to take over Beziers rugby club which petered out when a financial investigation was made into its efficacy.
In his 2007 autobiography, Dominici admitted he had suffered severe bouts of depression following a personal loss and that he had been abused as a child.
Meanwhile as new broke internationally, messages of condolences have been streaming in via the France Rugby, as well as Stade Fracais social media platforms.
– Agence France-Presse