About Gary Teichman
A banner proclaiming “And on the eighth day, God created … Teich!” summed up the feelings that the fans had towards the gutsy eighthman.
Impressive qualities: Humility, fair play, hard work, courage and commitment.
Gary Hamilton Teichmann was born in the Zimbabwe Midlands town of Gweru in 1967. He is a retired South African Rugby player. He played eighthman for, and was the captain of the South African national team, the Springboks, from 1996 to 1999. He moved to South Africa with his family when he was 11 years old. Teichmann attended Hilton College for his secondary education and the University of Natal for his tertiary education.
A
big man, Teichmann stands 1.95 metres tall and weighed in at about 100
kilograms for most of his career. More than his physical appearance however, it
was his humility and fair play on the field that earned him the respect, and
fear, of his opponents.
Teich
started his career playing school and later club rugby before being spotted by
the Natal Province’s Currie Cup's team in 1991. He was soon promoted to
captain by then Natal coach Ian McIntosh in what turned out to be an inspired
move, as he led Natal to three Currie Cup victories in 1992, 1995 and
1996, The team under Teichmann also finished in second place in 1993 and
1999 and made it to the final of the then Super 10 (later Super 12 and now
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 game as a Springbok
however. He scored a try in his opening match as the Springboks went on to
comprehensively defeat Wales 40-11 at Ellis Park.
After
playing only 6 games for the Springboks Teichmann was selected captain of the
squad in 1996, a move that saw him rise as one of South Africa's most successful
captains ever. Teichmann captained the Springboks in 36 tests between 1996 and
1999 with 27 of those (72%) ending in victory. The Springboks, with Teichmann at
the helm, were considered the greatest South African team in history by many,
and went on rewrite the history books several times.
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
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 it ended with a defeat against England at Twickenham
after an exhausted Springbok team stumbled, rather than leapt, into England at
the end of a long tour.
A
list of records broken during that period includes:
23/07/97
South Africa 61-22 Australia at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
22/11/97
South Africa 52-10 France at Parc des Princes, Paris,
06/12/97
South Africa 68-10 Scotland at Murrayfield. Edinburgh
27/07/98
South Africa 96-13 Wales at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
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 still holds
the record for the most consecutive test matches played for the Springboks with
39.
In
1999 coach Nick Mallet, who thought that Teichmann had lost most of his
form, controversially dropped him from the squad shortly before the 1999 Rugby
Union World Cup. Conversely the Springbok squad's performance suffered after
Teichmann was dropped until 2000 when Mallett resigned as coach of the
Springboks.
Teichmann
described himself as "gutted" by being left out of the squad after all
he had achieved, but in keeping with his down-to-earth personality he 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 club. Once again
showing his exceptional skill to lead, Teichmann guided 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. To all that remember him he remains a living legend, the phrase
"and on the 8th day God made Teich" once displayed on posters a
testament to how good he really was.