Former All Black coach dies at 91

  • 28/03/2017
Eric Watson (centre) riding the tube in London in 1979 (Photosport)
Eric Watson (centre) riding the tube in London in 1979 (Photosport)

Former All Black coach Eric Watson has died in Dunedin, aged 91.

Watson led the men in black on two tours during his time as coach, to Australia and Wales in 1980.

In an interview with the Otago Daily Times in 2014, he said he loved being the coach of the All Blacks despite only being paid $11 a day during his two-year tenure.

Eric's former rugby club Zingari-Richmond paid tribute to his passing (Facebook)
Eric's former rugby club Zingari-Richmond paid tribute to his passing (Facebook)

''I loved my time as All Black coach,'' he said.

''[But] it affected my business [at the time] really badly as I worked on my own and [my two] wives weren't part of it."

He only played one game for Otago in 1946, but also played cricket for the province at first-grade level for more than a decade.

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