McIntosh was in charge of the Boks in 1993 and 1994 and would later venture into serving the national selection committee. He was widely regarded as a legend of the game and cemented his name specifically in Durban and KwaZulu-Natal, where he coached the Sharks in the 1980s and 1990s.
He who grew up near Bulawayo in Zimbabwe and served as head coach for the Springboks during 1993 and 1994. Despite having the most of his career in South Africa, he never played for his country as a player, he became acquainted with coaching in the 1970s under the tutelage of the then Welsh Rugby Union coaching director Ray Williams. He later took charge of the former Zimbabwe national team, although his biggest achievement ever was taking charge of the South African national side.
He was sacked as national coach after a series defeat to the All Blacks mid 1994 before the 1995 World. The Springboks winning four games, drawing two and losing six. In total, he oversaw 12 Tests as a coach
“Thank you Mr Mac for everything you’ve done for our beautiful game. Your contribution can never be summed up in a few words and is eternal.”
“Mr Mac, as he was affectionately known, was our most successful coach in the history of Sharks rugby and lead us into the professional era. He was until the end a true ambassador of the black and white jersey,” the Sharks posted on their official Twitter account.
Tributes began pouring on Wednesday morning as the entire South African rugby community received the sad news. The former Springbok coach managed the South African side in a total of 12 Test matches. He was also behind the Sharks in securing four Currie Cup titles in the 1990s but was unfortunately on the losing side in two Super Rugby finals with the franchise. He coached the legendary Natal team during the late 1980s and early 1990s. He became a national figure after Natal won their first Currie Cup in 1990, their centenary year. His success with Natal led to him coaching the Springbok side. He was a four-time Currie Cup winner as Coach. The Sharks have named their main entrance gate at Kings Park after former coach Ian McIntosh.
Main Image: Ian McIntosh| Steve Haag/Gallo Images
