Sad journey home for ex-All Black whose baby son drowned in France

Messages of condolence are pouring in for grief-stricken former All Black Roger Randle, who is returning home this week to bury his baby son, who drowned in France.

Luka Randle, 16 months and the youngest of Roger and Kelly Randle's four children, drowned on Thursday in the swimming pool at their Bourgoin home, southeast of Lyon.

It is understood Randle, who has been playing in France for about a year, was away with his team when the accident happened.

The 31-year-old former All Black and Chiefs winger and Kelly will arrive back in New Zealand this week with the body for a funeral service and burial in Hastings.

A relative of Kelly Randle's yesterday asked that the couple and their family be given space to grieve.

"All they want to do is do the right thing by their son, and we just want to be left alone.

"They are young, they've been through a lot."

Randle and Kelly (nee Wallbank), a former Hastings netball representative, married in 1997, after two years together. This is the latest hardship to hit the couple.

Their eldest son Jayden nearly died at 6 weeks old from whooping cough and in 1997 Randle was embroiled in controversy after he was accused of raping a woman in a Durban hotel while on tour with the Hurricanes. The woman later withdrew the complaint and charges were dropped. Randle always maintained his innocence.

A friend of the family, who asked not to be named, said he had spoken to Kelly Randle, who had confirmed the couple would be returning home this week.

It was a tragedy made worse by the fact that the young couple and their three surviving children were so far away from home and the comforts of family, he said. "It will be a long few days until they do get home with their family."

Former All Black Frank Bunce, Randle's former Chiefs team-mate, said he was shocked when he heard the news yesterday.

"It's just tragic. I'm sure he's settled over there, and they've made him feel welcome, but times like this you really need close family."

Bunce said he had "a lot of time" for his former team-mate, who had been through many trials in his rugby career and life. He said the South Africa incident, in which Randle was clearly "set-up", had probably cut short a promising New Zealand rugby career.

"He was persecuted really for years and years, and probably still is. He just gritted his teeth and shrugged his shoulders and just had to get on with it."

Bunce said a "lesser person would have cracked".

"I've got a lot of time for him and I really feel for him."