Toulouse vs Sale Sharks kick-off delayed as paratrooper hangs from roof of stadium

The Champions Cup last-16 clash between Toulouse and Sale Sharks was delayed on Sunday afternoon after a paratrooper got stuck on the roof of the Stadium de Toulouse. Three parachuters were set to land on the pitch ahead of kick-off before disaster struck.

The chute of the final parachute snared up into the roof of the stadium and became attached to the building, leaving the military parachuter attached above a stand packed full of local supporters.

Although there were no immediate worries, it was soon announced that the 3pm kick-off would be delayed by 30 minutes whilst the parachutist was rescued - however, that proved slightly optimistic given that emergency services had not arrived at that stadium by that point.

Supporters were soon cleared from the seats beneath where the paratrooper was dangling. Authorities then quickly began to build a landing pad out of tackle bags in case the parachute snapped, as well as a half-inflated bouncy castle, with the Toulouse lion mascot also chipping in to help out by carrying pieces of makeshift equipment to the scene.

After 20 minutes of being stranded in the air, a fire truck emerged to a chorus of cheers from supporters of both clubs. The authorities extended a ladder to retrieve the individual, who was lowered back down to the ground safely.

The Stadium de Toulouse erupted with applause, with attention quicky diverted to when the game would get underway - with the ball previously being placed on to the pitch by one of the other parachutists after successfully landing on the pitch.

The players eventually re-emerged 40 minutes after their scheduled kick-off time, and both teams are unlikely to ever experience a more bizarre pre-game ritual than seeing the pre-game entertainment take an unexpected turn so quickly.

Earlier on Sunday Bordeaux booked their spot in the final eight of the competition with a 43-31 victory over Ulster. They will host Munster in the quarter-finals, who will head into the clash riding high after an away victory over La Rochelle. Glasgow Warriors cruised to a 43-19 win over Leicester on Saturday, with Castres beating Benetton and Leinster devastatingly putting Harlequins to the sword elsewhere.