It must be almost impossible to think of sport for the U20 Irish Rugby team in South Africa today, and yet it is what they have to do in what will be the toughest and most unexpected challenge of their young sporting lives.

Six of the group were recent schoolmates of the two young men from St Michael’s College who died on their Leaving Cert Holiday on Ios.

The side were going to wear black armbands as a mark of respect today.

Then last night the news emerged of the death of Greig Oliver, the father of team member Jack and a senior performance coach with Munster rugby in another tragic accident while in South Africa on the eve of attending the game.

I have had the privilege to do some work with this group as part of a day they spend with team sponsors PwC. They are an engaging and enthusiastic group, more familiar than many of their predecessors to the wider sports fan base through their double Grand Slam and full free to air coverage on Virgin Media and RTÉ.

We cheered them to nail-biting wins over France and England and now they stand on the edge of the Semi Finals of the U20 World Championship.

They are heroes on the pitch and many will become household names. But they are also young boys, 18 and 19 years old themselves and finding themselves and their way in the world.

TV always makes players look bigger and stronger. Ready to face the pressure of a Six Nations Decider with a steely determination. But if they were not on the squad they might have been at Florence and the Machine or Tom Grennan or Longitude last week, with their mates, having a laugh, getting ready for the next chapter of college or whatever it might be.

Now they have to face the death of those they know, in all its finality, in the spotlight of competing in a major international tournament.

For many of them it will be the first time. It’s not the kind of mental bump that you can prepare for and the support team around them will be working overtime, at a time when they themselves will be grieving. Richie Murphy and his group of coaches are a special bunch with a special bond to the players. That will help in some small but important ways.

Almost impossible to think of sport but sport must go on.

The tributes paid to Oliver from Kevin Potts at the IRFU, Ian Flanagan at Munster Rugby and many more were warm and heartfelt.

These things are not supposed to happen when the sun is shining and there are games to be played. It would break your heart.