Ex-France rugby international Christophe Dominici has been found dead in tragic circumstances in a park.

Dominici, 48, was best known for helping France knock out the New Zealand All Blacks in the 1999 Rugby World Cup.

A witness saw him climb the roof of a disused building at Saint-Cloud park near Paris on Tuesday before jumping from a height, police sources say.

Prosecutors have opened an inquiry into the cause of his death.

French rugby legend Dominici dies in park tragedy https://t.co/dMSC6MhsUY

— danny black (@DannyBlack44) November 24, 2020

Dominici played 67 times for his country and won the French championship five times with Stade Français before retiring in 2008. In recent years he had worked as a rugby pundit for French radio and TV.

His 1999 World Cup performance spurred France to a sensational comeback, as he darted down the left of the pitch, and seized the ball from two New Zealand defenders to score a try. The All Blacks were leading the game at the time and had the brilliant Jonah Lomu in their line-up.

Known as Domi, he earned a reputation for weaving runs that could change the course of a match. He played in four Six Nations-winning teams and won two Grand Slams.

His death has stunned French rugby.

In a 2009 Le Monde interview, he said rugby "let me understand many things - respect for life, people and oneself, along with the values of humility and combat. I was aggressive and put that to collective use. Now I have far more wisdom and maturity."