"Syd Millar: The Rugby Legend Who Led the Lions to an Unbeaten Tour and Organized Two World Cups!"

consent Irish Independent Irish News Shoutout: Syd Millar, the Irish rugby great who coached the Lions to an

unbeaten tour of South Africa in 1974

Syd Millar also successfully managed the organization of two Rugby World Cups.

Photo: PA Syd Millar also successfully

managed the organization of two Rugby

World Cups. Photo: PA Telegraph.co.uk Today at 03:30 Syd Millar, who has died

aged 89, played an influential role in rugby union for more than 50 years as a

player, coach and senior manager. As a

recruiting forward, he made 37 appearances for Ireland between 1958

and 1970 and nine times for the British and Irish Lions on three tours in the

1950s and 1960s, before coaching the Lions on their winless tour of South

Africa in 1974 He led Ireland to the 1987 World Cup before serving as President of

the International Rugby Board (IRB) from 2003 to 2007, when he managed to

oversee the organization of two World Cups. Millar’s coaching of the 1974 Lions,

who won 21 of 22 matches and won the test series 3–0, was the highest

achievement in rugby union. Millar was a master of attacking tactics and in 1974 he put together one of the best groups to

visit South Africa, including Bobby Windsor, Fran Cotton, Roger Uttley,

Gordon Brown, Ian McLauchlan and Fergus Slattery. . As well as being an excellent coach, Millar had great

leadership skills and won the loyalty of his players on that often brutal tour. His support for their efforts even extended

to the tacit sanction of the ’99 call’, whereby every member of the South

African attacking team could shout ’99’, knowing that his team-mates were about

to hit the opposition. the player closest to them. “Syd knew when to work and he

knew when to play,” said his Lions captain and fellow Ulsterman Willie John

McBride. “After the game we were able to really relax and then when the game days came around the switch went back

and we got back to winning.” John Sydney Millar was born on 23 May 1934

in Ballymena, Co Antrim, to James, a butcher, and his wife Amy (née Law). He went to Ballymena Academy and played

for Ballymena RFC, where he switched from the schoolboy position to wide, operating in both tight and wide

positions. He remained at Ballymena throughout his playing career and also represented Ulster for 14 years. Millar’s

debut for Ireland came against France in the Five Nations Championship in Paris in 1958. During the year, and despite

playing only five matches for Ireland, he was selected for the Lions’ tour of

Australia and New Zealand in 1959 and scored convincing victories in the two Tests against Australia. In 1970, he

played his last game for Ireland aged 35 in a 14–0 win against Wales at

Lansdowne Road. He then coached Ireland from 1973 to 1975, helping them

to the Five Nations title in 1974, before joining the Lions on that successful tour

of South Africa. By 1987, Millar was manager of Ireland at the first World

Cup, where his team reached the quarter-finals before being knocked out

by Australia. He became President of the IRFU in 1995 and represented the body on the IRB, of which he was appointed

Vice-President in 2002. As president of the IRB, he was responsible for two

World Cups, in Australia in 2003 and in France in 2007, after which he retired.

He was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame in 2009. His other

accolades included the Freedom of Ballymena in 2004 and being named a

member of the Legion d’Honneur by the French government in 2007. Millar was

predeceased by his wife, Enid. She is survived by their daughter and two sons.

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