Former Springbok rugby player dies
The former Springbok hooker passed away at the age of 85.
Gys Pitzer, a former Blue Bulls and Springbok rugby player, passed away on Good Friday, 18 April, at the age of 85.
According to Maroela Media, the rugby legend spent the past six weeks in Zuid-Afrikaans Hospital in Pretoria.
Pitzer played a total of 12 test matches for the Springboks between 1967 and 1970, and 45 matches for the Blue Bulls (Northern Transvaal) between 1964 and 1970.
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He also played as a hooker for the national team.
If the name Gys Pitzer rings a bell elsewhere, his son is Gys Pitzer from the well-known car dealership, Gys Pitzer Motors, in Pretoria.
Gys reportedly told Maroela Media that his father had to hang up his rugby boots after sustaining an injury in England.
After his rugby career came to an end, Pitzer decided to take on the role of teacher and rugby coach.
According to Pretoria Rekord, the former Springbok player worked as an electrician at Yskor in Pretoria before stepping into his role as teacher and coach.
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He started teaching at John Vorster Hoër Tegniese Skool, where he led the school’s first team rugby squad to great success.
"HTS John Vorster walked away with the Director's Trophy in those years," Gys added.
Gys says that as a teacher, his father had a real impact on his students' lives. "He invested time and effort to change lives. If children were struggling at home, he wanted to know how he could help. They were very fond of him."
Pitzer's wife, Rina, passed away last year. He is survived by four children and twelve grandchildren. One of his grandchildren, Gysie (son of Gys’s son, Piet), died a few days before his grandmother last year after battling cancer.
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