MyZA

News, Directory, Events and Other Stuff

You are here: Home / News / Sport / RIP Dr. Syd Millar CBE

RIP Dr. Syd Millar CBE

World Rugby has led tributes to former Chairman, Dr. Syd Millar CBE, who has passed away aged 89.

Millar, who served as Chairman of the then International Rugby Board (IRB) between 2003 and 2007, will be remembered as one of the sport’s finest statesmen, playing a major hand in the advancement of the sport on the global stage.

He led the reshaping of the game and presided over what will be regarded as the first modern men’s Rugby World Cup in Australia in 2003, a landmark women’s Rugby World Cup in Canada in 2006 and a record-breaking men’s Rugby World Cup in France in 2007.

Millar was elected President of the Irish Football Union (IRFU) in 1995, a transformative time for the sport, and represented the union with distinction on the IRB Council from 1992, as well as serving as Chairman of the British and Irish Lions between 1999 and 2002.

Before success in the boardroom, Millar was one of the finest players, coaches and managers of his generation. A stalwart of Ballymena Rugby Club and Ulster Rugby, Millar made his Ireland debut in 1958 and won a total of 37 caps as well as playing on three British and Irish Lions tours in 1959,1962 and 1966.

He went on to coach Ireland between 1973 and 1975 and led the Lions to an undefeated tour of South Africa in 1974. He also served as Lions manager on the 1980 tour and as Ireland manager at the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987, a tournament he had a deep passion for and one that would play a central role in his time as IRB Chairman.

Respected throughout the game, success on the field and in the boardroom led to well-deserved accolades. Millar was made a CBE in 2005 having previously been named an MBE, and was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame (now World Rugby Hall of Fame) in 2009, as well as being awarded the prestigious Légion d’honneur in 2007 after an era-defining men’s Rugby World Cup in France.

World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont led the tributes from the global rugby family. “I know that I speak on behalf of colleagues and the global rugby family when I say that Syd Millar was a giant of the game on the world stage.

“As influential in the boardroom as he was brilliant as a player, coach and manager, Syd was a natural leader and visionary, someone who cared deeply about the sport, its people, values and future.

“Syd led the sport through some of its most defining moments, driving forward the expansion and development of the sport beyond its heartlands. He was an inspiration to me, and many aspiring administrators, and he will be greatly missed.

“All our thoughts are with the Millar family and friends at this difficult time.”

Category: Tag:

If you feel strongly about this article then feel free to send MyZA a ‘Letter to the Editor’ using the submission form below:

Letter to the Editor

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
If this is in response to an article please include that article title here or as the lead in for the first paragraph of your Letter below.

Separate tags with commas

Localise your letter by naming the city your words are about. Add relevant words describing your subject. Single comma separated words of no more than 5
Your Name(Required)
Your Name will be linked to the website below.
Your personal, business or social media web site
Choose NO to not set up a user account on MyZA. User Accounts will allow you to submit letters under your own Author Name

3 Latest Letters to the Editor:

  • NSFAS 2027 applications close on 31 October — SASSA households, apply now

    Dear Editor, I run SAGrant (sagrant.co.za), a free resource helping South Africans navigate SASSA grants. NSFAS applications for the 2027 academic year close on Friday 31 October 2026, and no extension is expected. If your household receives a SASSA grant, your child already passes the NSFAS financial eligibility test — but they still have to…

  • Publish the Call, Then Publish the Grade

    Dear Editor, South African football fans argue about everything — lineups, referees, who should start up front. But there’s one argument we never have, because nobody gives us the numbers: were the predictions we read all week actually any good? I help run XG Mind AI, a small independent football data lab. Our rule is…

  • Don’t Ignore a SASSA Review Notice — It Is Not a Cancellation

    Dear Editor, I run SAGrant (sagrant.co.za), a free resource helping South Africans navigate SASSA grants. SASSA has reminded beneficiaries that a grant review is not a cancellation. A review simply checks whether a beneficiary still meets the qualifying requirements — it can be triggered by a change in income, employment, marital status, address, contact details…

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sport Trivia: Which South African swimmer was the first woman ever to win both the 100m and 200m Olympic breaststroke event, this was achieved at the 1996 Olympics? Answer: Penny Heyns. Penny Heyns is regarded as one of the best breaststroke swimmers ever. At the Atlanta Olympics, she won her first gold for the 100 metres breaststroke in a world record time of 1:07:02 and her second gold in the 200 metres in an Olympic record time of 2:25:41.

  2. The name for the sport is believed to have originated from “criquet”, the Old French term for stick, goal, or post. It may also have come from “kricke”, a Middle Dutch term for stick or staff.