"He lived and breathed Leeds Rhinos": Rugby fans pay tribute to supporter Raymond Greenfield

Ray, who was a club ambassador and took part in community work, collapsed in the Original Oak in Headingley ahead of the match against Toulouse Olympique while drinking with fellow fans. Despite efforts to revive him, he was pronounced dead in Leeds General Infirmary and is thought to have suffered a cardiac arrest.

Father pays tribute to Rhinos fan Raymond Greenfield after sudden deathDanny Frank, a member of the Rhinos supporters' board, said that Ray's passion for the team 'was there for all to see'.

“I’ve worked with Ray for around five years as ambassadors for Leeds Rhinos, We sold tickets and managed supporters' groups. Ray was a very popular lad around the club and among the fans; his passion for Leeds Rhinos was there for all to see. He supported anything and everything associated with the club; last weekend he was supporting the Leeds Rhinos women’s team in their Challenge Cup final at Warrington on Saturday and then on the Sunday he was in Bolton for the men's semi-final against Warrington - he lived and breathed Leeds Rhinos.

"I’m part of the admin team on the Leeds Rhinos Facebook page which has over 18,000 members, and we set up a Justgiving page to raise some cash to send his family some flowers. In less than 24 hours we have raised over £600 which is just amazing. The rugby league family is a massive force when we all come together and Ray was a big part of it. He will be missed.”

Donate to the appeal here.