Syd Millar CBE
Chairman of theInternational Rugby Board
In office 2003–2007
Deputy	Silas Nkanunu Bob Tuckey[1]
Preceded by	Vernon Pugh
Succeeded by	Bernard Lapasset
Vice-chairman of theIRB
In office 16 September 2002 – 31 December 2003
Preceded by	Rob Fisher
Succeeded by	Silas Nkanunu[2]
Rugby player
Birth name	Sydney Millar[3]
Date of birth	(1934-05-23)23 May 1934
Place of birth	Ballymena, Northern Ireland
Date of death	10 December 2023(2023-12-10) (aged 89)
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight	100 kg (15 st 10 lb; 220 lb)
School	Ballymena Academy
University	Belfast Nautical College
Rugby union career
Position(s) Prop Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 1950–1972 Ballymena[4] () 1957–65, 67–71 Ulster[4] () 1959–1971 Barbarians F.C.[5] () International career Years Team Apps (Points) 1958–1970 Ireland 37 (0) 1959–1968 British and Irish Lions 9 (0) Coaching career Years Team 1973–1975 Ireland[4] 1974 British and Irish Lions[4]

Sydney MillarCBE^[6] (23 May 1934 – 10 December 2023) was a Northern Irishrugby union prop who played forBallymena RFC andUlster and international rugby forIreland and theBritish Lions.^[7] After retiring from playing rugby he became a rugby coach and a rugby administrator. He became chairman of theIrish Rugby Union in 1995 and from 2003 until 2007 was chairman of theInternational Rugby Board.^[8] Former Lions captainWillie John McBride stated that Millar had given "his whole life to the game".^[9]

Millar was born inBallymena in Northern Ireland, the eldest of six children.^[10] He spent a period away as a sea cadet.^[11]

Millar played at outside-half at school.^[12] A highly technical prop, he focused on the set-piece and could play on either side of the scrum at the highest level.^[13]

Millar played for his home town club,Ballymena RFC.

Millar first played forIreland in 1958 and went on to win 37 caps as a prop. This included a four-year gap when he was out of favour. His last international was in 1970.^[13]

Millar played 39 games for theBritish and Irish Lions, including 9 internationals, on 3 tours. Although tighthead was said to be his preference, he packed down at loosehead in both the 1959 and 1962 Lions series. He also played on the 1968 tour.^[13]

Millar also appeared 10 times for theBarbarians, including a win over the 1961 South African team.^[12]

Millar coached the hugely successful Lions tour to South Africa in1974. According toIan McGeechan, Millar was pivotal to the success of the tour.^[14]

Millar used information from ex-pats he knew in South Africa in his preparation.^[15]

Terry O’Connor (rugby writer) said: “In my view Millar has always been under-rated as a coach and overshadowed by Carwyn James who was in charge of the 1971 team. Both rank among the world’s best and brought different qualities to their work. James was a visionary about back play but accepted that his forward knowledge at Test level was limited. Millar has proved over the years a master of forward tactics and in 1974 forged the finest pack ever to visit South Africa.”^[12]

Millar managed the Lions tour to South Africa in1980. He was the manager of the Irish national side at the1987 World Cup.

Millar became the president of the Ulster Rugby Union in 1985,^[16] and was appointed one of the representatives of the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) to the IRB Council in 1992.^[17] He became president of the IRFU in 1995,^[16] and was also chairman of theBritish and Irish Lions from 1999 to 2002.

He was appointed IRB vice-chairman on 16 September 2002, replacing New Zealander Rob Fisher. He took on the role of interim chairman after the death of Vernon Pugh in 2003.^[18]

Millar was elected as the IRB chairman in late 2003 to a four-year term commencing in 2004. He presided over a governance restructure and new strategic plan for the IRB, and was influential in the continued lobbying forRugby sevens inclusion in the Summer Olympics. He stepped down from his posts at the IRB and the IRFU following the2007 World Cup and was succeeded as byBernard Lapasset.^[19]

Millar was married and had a daughter Lesley and sons Peter and Johnny.^[20][21] He missed the birth of Peter, later an Ulster, Ireland andBarbarians prop, because he was on tour.^[22]

Syd Millar died on 10 December 2023, at the age of 89.^[23][24]

On 20 May 2004 he was awarded theFreedom of the Borough ofBallymena.^[25]

Millar was awarded theHonorary Degree ofDoctor of Science by theUniversity of Ulster in 1992,^[26] and was inducted into theInternational Rugby Hall of Fame in 2003. He was made aCBE in 2005 having previously been appointed MBE.^[26]

On 12 December 2007, Millar was appointed to theLégion d'honneur, France's highest decoration, at a ceremony in Ballymena Rugby Club, byBernard Lapasset, his successor as IRB Chairman.^[27]

In 2009 he was inducted into theInternational Rugby Hall of Fame. Gavin Mairs (rugby writer) said: ”Millar’s contribution to rugby football has been nothing short of phenomenal – from player, coach, manager and lately world-class administrator who presided over two outstanding Rugby World Cups and leaves the Game well equipped to continue its global expansion in the professional era.”^[12]

In 2016 he won theVernon Pugh Award for Distinguished Service.

• Ireland profile
• Syd Millar at theWorld Rugby Hall of Fame

• 1934 births
• 2023 deaths
• Irish rugby union administrators
• Irish rugby union coaches
• Irish rugby union players
• Ireland international rugby union players
• Ulster Rugby players
• Ballymena R.F.C. players
• World Rugby Hall of Fame inductees
• British & Irish Lions rugby union players from Ireland
• British & Irish Lions coaches
• Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
• Recipients of the Legion of Honour
• Rugby union players from Ballymena
• Rugby union props
• People educated at Ballymena Academy

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