Foley's funeral set for Friday

Foley was found dead aged 42 in his hotel room hours ahead of his side's European Champions Cup clash with French side Racing 92 on Sunday.

The Nanterre public prosecutor west of Paris that oversaw the autopsy told AFP on Tuesday that Foley had "a heart rhythm disorder that caused an acute pulmonary edema".

Pulmonary edema is a build-up of fluid in the lungs that can lead to respiratory failure.

Foley's death could therefore "be linked to a cardiac problem", the prosecutor added, without giving any further details. Other toxicological tests are under way, with results due in the coming weeks.

The prosecutor, however, also issued a burial permit, with the body free to be released to the family.

Munster said Foley's body would be flown home on Wednesday and the funeral would take place on Friday.

"Anthony's family have confirmed that his remains will be flown home to Shannon Airport, from where they will be brought to his family home in Killaloe, Co Clare," said a statement on the club's website.

As a robust backrow forward, Foley led Munster to European Cup victory in 2006 with victory over Biarritz in Cardiff and went on to win 62 caps for Ireland, captaining the national side on three occasions.

He played 86 European matches for Munster, including a record 71 consecutive games, and retired in 2008 as the club's most-capped player with 194 appearances for the provincial side.

Foley, whose father Brendan played for Ireland and was also a member of the celebrated Munster team that defeated New Zealand in 1978, was named head coach of the Irish province in 2014.

He had also coached the Munster 'A' team, the Ireland Wolfhounds, as well as the Irish forwards on a temporary basis in 2012 and had been spoken of as a future Ireland head coach.

His death sparked an outpouring of emotion from the global rugby community and within hours of the news breaking, Thomond Park, Munster's home stadium in the city of Limerick, had become a virtual shrine, the gates covered with  scarves, jerseys and flowers.

Agence France-Presse