Kangaroos prop Pat Carrigan is preparing to play in honour of friend Liam Hampson as coach Mal Meninga said the Redcliffe Dolphin’s tragic death in Barcelona will resonate throughout Australia’s World Cup campaign.
Australian players were told of Hampson’s death after arriving in Coventry for their pool match against Scotland (5.30am Saturday, AEDT), and will wear black armbands for the clash.
Carrigan was particularly close with Hampson, whose body was discovered in Barcelona’s Sala Apolo nightclub this week.
Catalan Police say the 24-year-old fell from a height of around 10 metres into an internal part of the club, the news coming after a frantic, 30-hour search by friends he was travelling with including Gold Coast Titans star AJ Brimson and Brisbane’s Jordan Riki.
Meninga said Carrigan has indicated he wants to play at this stage as the rugby league community reels from Hampson’s death.
“[Carrigan] wants to get out there,” Meninga said before the Kangaroos captain’s run.
“My life is fantastic,” Liam Hampson, right, wrote on social media several days before his death.Credit:Instagram
“He is comfortable with that at the moment. We are still 24 hours away so we will see how it pans out.”
Numerous Australian players shared social media appeals for help when Hampson’s travelling companions were trying to find him.
Meninga said it was inevitable some squad members will be impacted by Hampson’s death throughout the following month on tour.
“They are okay, they are obviously affected by it,” he said.
“Everyone needs time to grieve, Sometimes you just jump back on the bike and keep going – that is a way of handling it as well.
“At some stage all his close friends, particularly over here, will be grieving. We will support them as best we can.
“Being so far away from home is the thing too. On behalf of the Kangaroos over here, we pay our condolences back to Liam’s family and friends. It was a sad day and we obviously pay our respects.
“Hopefully they get through it one day. We’re very much behind them all and in the back of our minds we will be playing for them tomorrow.”
A GoFundMe page set up by Riki to help Hampson’s family fly their son’s body home raised more than $50,000 in the first two hours after it was set up before donations were paused at more than $70,000.
Hampson played with Queensland Cup side Tweed Heads before linking with the Dolphins as a hooker, playing 37 games since 2021, including this year’s grand final.
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