FILE PHOTO: Wales v Argentina 21/11/98 Rugby Union World Cup Qualifier (RWC 99) - Llanelli Pic : Action Images / Brandon Malone Alex Wyllie - Argentina Technical Director rwcset 99/File photo
(Reuters) -Former All Blacks coach Alex 'Grizz' Wyllie died on Saturday at the age of 80, New Zealand Rugby (NZR) said.
Wyllie coached New Zealand in 64 tests from 1988 to 1991, winning 58 times, losing four and drawing once.
"Grizz Wyllie was a true giant of our game – not just in the way he played, but in the way he led and inspired those around him," NZR Chief Executive Mark Robinson said in a statement.
"Grizz was a larger-than-life character who made an immense impact as a player and coach, and his legacy will live on in New Zealand and world rugby forever."
The former flanker led the All Blacks as joint head coach alongside John Hart at the 1991 Rugby World Cup, where the All Blacks were eliminated in the semi-finals by eventual winners Australia.
Wyllie represented New Zealand 11 times as a player in international fixtures having played for Canterbury in provincial rugby more than 200 times from 1964 to 1979.
He took over as Canterbury head coach in 1982 and, after his three-year stint with the All Blacks, led Argentina to the quarter-finals of the 1999 World Cup.
"Canterbury Rugby will feel this loss deeply, including Canterbury Country Rugby and the Glenmark Rugby Club where Grizz began his career," Canterbury Rugby Union chair Mike Lay said.
"As both a player and coach, Grizz set standards that defined Canterbury Rugby and left a lasting legacy on New Zealand's rugby culture.
"We mourn his passing but celebrate the incredible contribution he made to our sport and the way he inspired a province."
(Reporting by Michael Church, Editing by Peter Rutherford)
