Editorial: Syd Millar’s lifetime of service to rugby leaves a shining legacy

A service of thanksgiving for Ulster rugby great Syd Millar was held yesterday in his hometown of Ballymena, and his shining legacy is set to endure.

Mr Millar, who died on Sunday aged 89, has left an indelible mark on sport in Northern Ireland.

His remarkable achievements on and off the pitch and the esteem in which he was held by his contemporaries, who spoke so warmly of the impact he made on those who came to know him, bear testament to a life well lived.

A flood of tributes attested to the former IRFU president’s glittering career, which included 37 caps for Ireland and a famous feat during his tenure as the coach of the British and Irish Lions, when they returned undefeated after a 22-match tour of South Africa in 1974.

After his playing career was over, his devotion to rugby continued at the highest levels, with Mr Millar becoming president of the Irish Rugby Football Union in 1995 and chairman of the International Rugby Board in 2003.

He relinquished both roles in 2007, when his sense of duty and unwavering dedication was recognised by France’s highest distinction – the Légion d'honneur – for Millar’s work around the 2007 Rugby World Cup.

More plaudits followed yesterday at Mr Millar’s funeral at West Presbyterian Church, when the devoted family man was praised as a loving husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather, while his contribution to rugby was acknowledged as “nothing short of phenomenal”.

However, former Ulster and Ireland winger and British and Irish Lions star Trevor Ringland perhaps summed it up best, hailing his compatriot as “the greatest rugby person of all time”.

He added: “There’s no-one else in the world who has given more to the sport than Syd – and he’s an Ulsterman.”