Blood poisoning may have killed Duncombe

Mystery last night still shrouded the cause of the untimely death of Nick Duncombe, the brilliant Harlequins and England scrum-half who died on Friday, three weeks after his 21st birthday.

The Harlequins squad had been sent off to do their own thing for a week, to incorporate training with some rest and relaxation. Duncombe and his team-mate Nathan Williams booked themselves a week in Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, where at around 10pm on Thursday evening, Duncombe – who had two England caps after appearing as a replacement in last season's Six Nations' – complained of feeling unwell.

"He had a sore throat and said it felt as if he had tonsillitis," Mike Scott, the Quins team manager, said yesterday. "By three o'clock on Friday morning he was in absolute agony and had broken out in a purple rash on his body. He was rushed into hospital, but he died at 1.30 on Friday afternoon."

Scott added: "It definitely was not meningitis. His father, Steven, said that meningitis was the one thing the hospital tests had ruled out."

According to a medical source the likeliest cause of death, given those symptoms, is meningococcal septicaemia – blood poisoning. A particularly virulent infection can kill within a couple of hours without prompt treatment.

"Everyone is devastated," Scott said. "He was hugely talented and a lovely guy. As a club we are not going to get over this for a long time."

Richard Hill, the England back rower, said: "Nick's death was a huge shock to the team. A man, aged 21 in peak physical condition, suddenly to have this illness and die is quite unbelievable and it has been hard for the players to understand."