Gary Teichmann
Encyclopedia
Gary Hamilton Teichmann (born 9 January 1967 in Gwelo, Rhodesia
) is a retired Rhodesian/Zimbabwean-born South African rugby union
player. He played number eight (eighthman) and was the captain of the South African national team, the Springboks
, between 1995 and 1999. He moved to South Africa with his family when he was 11 years old.
s for most of his career. His humility and fair play earned him wide respect throughout the rugby world.
Educated at Hilton College, Teichmann started his career playing club rugby for the University of Natal
team in Pietermaritzburg
before being spotted by the Natal Province's Currie Cup
team in 1991. He was soon promoted to captain by then Natal coach Ian McIntosh
and played for Natal in three Currie Cup victories in 1992, 1995 and 1996 (Captain in 1995 and 1996). The team under Teichmann also finished in second place in 1993 and 1999 and made it to the final of the Super 10 (the precursor to the Super 12 and Super 14
) competition in 1994. The Natal Currie Cup team became the core of the team now known as the Sharks when the Super 12 competition began in 1996, and Teichmann also captained that side. After the team was renamed the Sharks in 1998 he led them to the final of the Super 12. In all, Teichmann represented Natal and the Sharks in 144 matches.
In 1993 he was selected for the Springbok tour to Argentina
, and in 1994 he was again selected as part of the squad that toured Wales
and Scotland
. It wasn't until 2 September 1995 that he played his first full international as a Springbok however. He scored a try in his debut test as the Springboks went on to defeat Wales
40-11 at Ellis Park
.
After playing only 6 test matches for the Springboks Teichmann was appointed as captain of the squad in 1996, and went on to become one of South Africa's most successful captains ever. He captained the Springboks in 39 tests between 1996 and 1999 with 27 of those (72%) ending in victory. The Springboks, with Teichmann at the helm, were considered by many the greatest South African team in history.
Between 1997 and 1998 the Springboks went on a record winning streak of 17 consecutive test matches. As part of their unbeaten run they won the 1998 Tri Nations Series undefeated, beating both Australia
and New Zealand
away from home. They kicked off the feat with a record dismantling of Australia to win 61-22 at Loftus Versfeld
in Pretoria
and ended with a defeat against England
at Twickenham
at the end of a long tour.
A list of record victories during that period includes:
Although not records they also beat Ireland
33-0 at Loftus and Italy
74-3 in Port Elizabeth. In all Teichmann played 42 tests for the Springboks, and held the record for the most consecutive test matches played for the Springboks with 39. This has since been surpassed by the incumbent springbok captain, John Smit
.
In 1999 coach Nick Mallett
, who thought that Teichmann had lost most of his form, controversially dropped him from the squad shortly before the 1999 Rugby Union World Cup. The Springbok squad's performance suffered after Teichmann was dropped until 2000 when Mallett resigned as coach of the Springboks. Mallett has since admitted that with the benefit of hindsight, the dropping of Teichmann was a big mistake (source: http://www.southafrica.info/ess_info/sa_glance/sports/greats/teichmann.htm).
Teichmann described himself as "gutted" at being left out of the squad but did not get involved in the mud slinging that followed his dismissal. Instead he opted to move to Wales where he played for the Newport club. He captained Newport to their first Principality Cup
win in 24 years in 2001, announcing his retirement from rugby shortly after. He also wrote his autobiography, "For The Record", published in 2000 by Jonathan Ball Publishers in South Africa, during this time.
As of 2005 Teichmann serves in an advisory capacity on the board of The Sharks Pty Ltd. He now lives in Luanshya, Zambia where he owns a Road Construction business.
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
) is a retired Rhodesian/Zimbabwean-born South African rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player. He played number eight (eighthman) and was the captain of the South African national team, the Springboks
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
, between 1995 and 1999. He moved to South Africa with his family when he was 11 years old.
Career
Teichmann stands 1.95 metres tall and weighed about 100 kilogramKilogram
The kilogram or kilogramme , also known as the kilo, is the base unit of mass in the International System of Units and is defined as being equal to the mass of the International Prototype Kilogram , which is almost exactly equal to the mass of one liter of water...
s for most of his career. His humility and fair play earned him wide respect throughout the rugby world.
Educated at Hilton College, Teichmann started his career playing club rugby for the University of Natal
University of Natal
The University of Natal was a university in Natal, and later KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, that is now part of the University of KwaZulu-Natal. It was founded in 1910 as the Natal University College in Pietermaritzburg, and expanded to include a campus in Durban in 1931. In 1947, the university...
team in Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838, and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its "purist" Zulu name is umGungundlovu, and this is the name used for the district municipality...
before being spotted by the Natal Province's Currie Cup
Currie Cup
The Currie Cup tournament is South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition, played each winter and spring , featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces...
team in 1991. He was soon promoted to captain by then Natal coach Ian McIntosh
Ian McIntosh
Ian McIntosh is a Zimbabwean-South African rugby union coach. He served as head coach for the Springboks during the early 1990s.McIntosh grew up near Bulawayo....
and played for Natal in three Currie Cup victories in 1992, 1995 and 1996 (Captain in 1995 and 1996). The team under Teichmann also finished in second place in 1993 and 1999 and made it to the final of the Super 10 (the precursor to the Super 12 and Super 14
Super 14
Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
) competition in 1994. The Natal Currie Cup team became the core of the team now known as the Sharks when the Super 12 competition began in 1996, and Teichmann also captained that side. After the team was renamed the Sharks in 1998 he led them to the final of the Super 12. In all, Teichmann represented Natal and the Sharks in 144 matches.
In 1993 he was selected for the Springbok tour to Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, and in 1994 he was again selected as part of the squad that toured Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It wasn't until 2 September 1995 that he played his first full international as a Springbok however. He scored a try in his debut test as the Springboks went on to defeat Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
40-11 at Ellis Park
Ellis Park Stadium
Ellis Park Stadium, also known because of its sponsorship by The Coca-Cola Company as Coca-Cola Park, is a rugby union and association football stadium in the city of Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa. It hosted the final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which was won by the country's...
.
After playing only 6 test matches for the Springboks Teichmann was appointed as captain of the squad in 1996, and went on to become one of South Africa's most successful captains ever. He captained the Springboks in 39 tests between 1996 and 1999 with 27 of those (72%) ending in victory. The Springboks, with Teichmann at the helm, were considered by many the greatest South African team in history.
Between 1997 and 1998 the Springboks went on a record winning streak of 17 consecutive test matches. As part of their unbeaten run they won the 1998 Tri Nations Series undefeated, beating both Australia
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
and New Zealand
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
away from home. They kicked off the feat with a record dismantling of Australia to win 61-22 at Loftus Versfeld
Loftus Versfeld Stadium
Loftus Versfeld Stadium is a rugby and association football stadium situated in Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa. The stadium has a capacity of 51,762 for rugby union and hosted the 2009 Currie Cup final...
in Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
and ended with a defeat against England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
at Twickenham
Twickenham Stadium
Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000...
at the end of a long tour.
A list of record victories during that period includes:
- 23/07/97 South Africa 61-22 Australia at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
- 22/11/97 South Africa 52-10 FranceFrance national rugby union teamThe France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
at Parc des PrincesParc des PrincesThe Parc des Princes is an all-seater football stadium located in the southwest of Paris, France. The venue, with a seating capacity of 48,712 spectators, has been the home of French football club Paris Saint-Germain since 1974. The current Parc des Princes was inaugurated on 4 June 1972, endowed...
, ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region... - 06/12/97 South Africa 68-10 Scotland at MurrayfieldMurrayfield StadiumMurrayfield Stadium is a sports stadium located in the west end of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Its all-seater capacity was recently reduced from 67,800 to 67,130 to incorporate the largest permanent "big screen" in the country though it still remains the largest stadium in Scotland and one...
, EdinburghEdinburghEdinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area... - 27/07/98 South Africa 96-13 Wales at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Although not records they also beat Ireland
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
33-0 at Loftus and Italy
Italy national rugby union team
The Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of Italy in the sport of rugby union. The team is also known as the Azzurri . Italy have been playing international rugby since the late 1920s, and since 2000 compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland,...
74-3 in Port Elizabeth. In all Teichmann played 42 tests for the Springboks, and held the record for the most consecutive test matches played for the Springboks with 39. This has since been surpassed by the incumbent springbok captain, John Smit
John Smit
John William Smit is the 50th and current captain of the South African national rugby union team, the Springboks. He has played most of his career as a hooker, but played twice for the Springboks off the bench as a prop prior to the South Africa coaching staff's decision to use him as a tighthead...
.
In 1999 coach Nick Mallett
Nick Mallett
Nicholas Vivian Howard Mallett is a former South African rugby union player who was until recently the head coach of the Italian national team, previously replacing Pierre Berbizier on 3 October 2007...
, who thought that Teichmann had lost most of his form, controversially dropped him from the squad shortly before the 1999 Rugby Union World Cup. The Springbok squad's performance suffered after Teichmann was dropped until 2000 when Mallett resigned as coach of the Springboks. Mallett has since admitted that with the benefit of hindsight, the dropping of Teichmann was a big mistake (source: http://www.southafrica.info/ess_info/sa_glance/sports/greats/teichmann.htm).
Teichmann described himself as "gutted" at being left out of the squad but did not get involved in the mud slinging that followed his dismissal. Instead he opted to move to Wales where he played for the Newport club. He captained Newport to their first Principality Cup
WRU Challenge Cup
The WRU Challenge Cup , or its full name of the Welsh Rugby Union Challenge Cup, is Wales' premier knockout rugby union competition and is organised by the Welsh Rugby Union....
win in 24 years in 2001, announcing his retirement from rugby shortly after. He also wrote his autobiography, "For The Record", published in 2000 by Jonathan Ball Publishers in South Africa, during this time.
As of 2005 Teichmann serves in an advisory capacity on the board of The Sharks Pty Ltd. He now lives in Luanshya, Zambia where he owns a Road Construction business.
External links
- Springbok Rugby Hall of Fame Profile
- Website of the Natal Sharks Super 14 Franchise
- Irish Examiner: Beating England Means Everything
- Irish Examiner: Westhuizen to Lead Springboks As Teichmann Is Dropped From Squad
- BBC News Article: Winning Swansong for Teichman
- BBC News Article: Teichmann Calls Time on Parade