The 40-year-old retired forward, from Manchester, was reportedly found dead in his room at the Hotel Continentale on Saturday morning after staff alerted the police. Mr Bibey is said to have arrived on Friday with a 43-year-old woman, believed to be his partner, who is being treated at the city’s Careggi Hospital after being found at his side with serious injuries. Teams of local police and coroners were seen at the luxury hotel, which is a short walk from the city’s famous Florence Cathedral. Local newspaper La Nazione reports that screams were heard coming from their room, prompting staff to raise the alarm. British media reported earlier that an unnamed British man was found dead in a hotel in Florence. La Nazione has since reported that the man found dead was Bibey, who played for the likes of Leigh Centurions, St Helens, Wigan Warriors and Wakefield Trinity. Leigh Centurions took to Twitter to say the club were “desperately saddened” to hear that Bibey had died “while on holiday in Italy”. St Helens posted: “We are saddened by the death of former Saint Ricky Bibey. Ricky played 21 times for us and was part of the 2004 @TheChallengeCup winning team that beat Wigan. All our thoughts are with friends and family of Ricky at this terrible time.’ Former rugby league player Leon Pryce tweeted: “Sincere condolences to Ricky’s family. We played against each other from the age of 14 or so. “Yorkshire vs Lancashire & together for England Schools Boys U16. A lovely boy. Absolutely devastating news. RIP Ricky.” Wakefield Trinity wrote: “Trinity is saddened to hear of the death of former supporting forward Ricky Beebe, aged 40. Ricky played for Trinity between 2007 and 2009, making 60 appearances. “We send our condolences to Ricky’s family and friends at this difficult time.” Bibey was a professional rugby league player for more than a decade until he retired in 2012 due to an Achilles tendon injury. He is reported to have worked as a real estate agent in the years following his retirement. The identity of the man who died in Florence has not yet been confirmed by the UK Foreign Office. A spokesman told Sky News: “We are in contact with the Italian police following the death of a British man in Florence.”
