A rugby club has paid tribute to a former player who died after collapsing on the pitch during a veterans' match.

Mark Edwards, a 42-yearold father-of-four, collapsed while he was playing for Droitwich RFC's veterans' team in a reunion match at the club's Hanbury Road ground last Saturday.

The former first team scrum-half was taken to the Worcester Royal Infirmary by ambulance but died there on Monday. It is believed that he suffered a heart attack during the game.

Phil Hopkins, Droitwich RFC's secretary, said the Worcestershire club had been shocked and deeply saddened by Mr Edwards' death.

He said: "He was a very popular person, not just at this club but across the whole West Midlands region. He was a very active man and made an amazing contribution to the sport. He was involved with this club for many years and we will miss him very much.

"We are desperately saddened by his death. The way he died was dreadful. It was a veterans get-together played in the right sort of spirit, and Mark was always up for that sort of occasion.

" It's always sad when someone dies in that sort of manner, but he was such a popular man at the club and so many of his friends were on site at the time that it was very, very sad indeed."

Mr Edwards moved into coaching after he stopped playing for Droitwich, running courses for the Rugby Football Union for Women.