It was with great sadness that we reported the death of Andy Ripley on Thursday after the former England international back row forward finally lost his battle with cancer. A giant of a gent on and off the field, it was no surprise that his passing triggered a huge outpouring of sympathy from those who knew him and others that respected and admired the man.

Among them were some grizzled members of the rugby media who felt compelled to share their memories of Ripley. "Above and beyond all, he will be remembered as an outstanding member of the human race," wrote Peter Jackson in the Daily Mail. Similar heart-felt words were penned by Steve Downes of the Sports Journalists Association and the Daily Telegraph's Mick Cleary while Brendan Gallagher offered his own personal recollection in the same newspaper. Equally moving was Paul Kimmage's interview with Ripley in the Sunday Times last month when it was painfully obvious that his time was running short.

A powerful ball runner ahead of his time, Ripley was capped 24 times by England and was also a tourist with the British Lions in 1974 but found his path to the Test side blocked by Welshman Mervyn Davies. He later found further fame on the BBC TV show Superstars which proved to be the perfect showcase for his all round skills and he went on to claim that title in 1980. A brilliant athlete, he competed in the 400m at the UK athletics Championship, was world veteran indoor rowing champion (edging out his former England rival Roger Uttley) and was also a notable swimmer and sailor. Age was also no barrier to him with a 50-year-old Ripley narrowly missing out on a place in the Boat Race whilst completing a masters at Cambridge University.

His talents did not end their with his linguistic skills ensuring a stint as a commentator for French television while his after-dinner speaking was as powerful as it was moving according to those lucky enough to have borne witness to it. Add to this the title of prize-winning author - his 2007 account of his battle with cancer - The Rugby Icon’s Ultimate Victory Over Cancer - won him even more fans.

In the foreword to his book he wrote, “Dare we hope? We dare. Can we hope? We can. Should we hope? We must, because to do otherwise is to waste the most precious of gifts, given so freely by God to all of us. So when we do die, it will be with hope and it will be easy and our hearts will not be broken.”

Ripley's life story is Boy's Own Annual material, a maverick and a corinthian whose exploits will rank alongside those of the legendary C B Fry and others who have lit up the sporting world in more than one discipline. Sadly the demands of the professional sporting world mean we will never see his like again - or will we?

Karmichael Hunt is one multi-talented sportsman bucking the trend. The Kiwi-born 23-year-old made his name in rugby league before deciding his future would be in Aussie Rules - but before he switched codes he ventured into union and helped steer Biarritz to this season's Heineken Cup Final. Impressive stuff. He may have a long way to go before he warrants a place alongside Ripley but we can only applaud the attempts of those who hope to follow in his footsteps.

Another is Sonny Bill Williams who, like Hunt, launched himself onto the sporting stage rugby league before making a high-profile switch to rugby union with Toulon in France. The Kiwi-born centre spent two years in French rugby's top flight but he is now heading back to New Zealand in his latest quest for international honours having already represented his country in the 13-man code. There is little doubt that his future lies with the All Blacks - with his last appearance for Toulon in the European Challenge Cup Final a perfect advert for superb all-round game that mixes power, pace and flair - and he is set to force his way into Graham Henry's plans for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. However, he also has one professional boxing bout under his belt and another looming - but he may have to put that career on the backburner in the next few months.

By the way, if you want a little reminder of the kind of devastation Ripley could cause as a player - have a look at this: