RIP: Legendary Grizz has died
03/23/2025 04:45 AM
NEWS: One of the greatest characters in New Zealand rugby history has passed away.
Former All Black No. 8 and coach Alex Wyllie - known by everyone as Grizz - has died at the age of 80.
Wylie played 40 matches, including 11 tests, for the All Blacks including a whopping 210 provincial matches for his beloved Canterbury.
He coached Canterbury to wins over the British Lions and the Wallabies before becoming assistant coach for the All Blacks to their first-ever World Cup in 1987.
He was the All Blacks head coach from 1988 to 1991 before John Hart joined him as co-coach for the 1991 World Cup.
Grizz coached the All Blacks to 58 test wins, five losses, and a draw during his time as head coach - a 91% success rate.
Wyllie also coached Transvaal (now the Lions), led Argentina to a first-ever World Cup quarterfinal in 1999, and returned home to coach Marlborough and North Canterbury.
In 1996 he was appointed as Transvaal coach after a turbulent time for the Johannesburg side.
It started with the disasters of the Super 12. Injuries, sanctions against Johan le Roux and James Dalton for on-the-field infringements, and the loss of Kitch Christie as coach began it all.
The malaise within the Transvaal team continued with schisms within the playing staff and the appointment of Alex Wylie to run things during the domestic season.
Wylie, so history has proved, was not the answer. It seemed that the harder the side tried the worse it became. They have, in short, never looked close to being the side of two seasons ago that swept all before them.
His stint in Johannesburg was brief and he quickly departed for Argentina and he was replaced by former Springbok wing Ray Mordt.
