A Catholic priest who played international rugby for Ireland has died at the age of 87.The Right Reverend Monsignor Canon Tom Gavin, the former parish priest of St Thomas More, Coventry, died early on 25 December after a short illness.
Monsignor Tom, who was born in Coventry, played rugby for Moseley and London Irish and gained two caps for Ireland while he was a serving priest.
His funeral will be held at St Thomas More on 12 January.
Monsignor Tom also organised Pope John Paul II's visit to Baginton Airfield in Coventry in May 1982.
More than 350,000 pilgrims from across the Archdiocese of Birmingham and further afield attended the Papal Mass there.
'Eternal reward'
He represented Ireland in the 1948/1949 season.
At the time of his death, Monsignor Tom was the third longest-serving priest in the archdiocese.
He served at St Thomas More from 1978 until his retirement in 2004.
Monsignor Tom attended the Mass of Installation for the new Archbishop Bernard Longley on 8 December.
The Archbishop said: "I pray for Monsignor Gavin whom our Lord called to his eternal reward on Christmas Day.
"I thank God for his generous and fruitful service over many years and his faithful witness as a priest."
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SIC: BBC