Izak van Heerden

Izak van Heerden (August 1910-June 1973) was a South African rugby union coach, and player, remembered mainly for his successes with the Argentina national team and Natal, and his unconventional style.

Van Heerden was born in Durban in 1910.

In his rugby playing career he had moderate success playing at loose forward for the Natal University College in Pietermaritzburg. Not being a Springbok meant that later on, he was passed over as a choice to coach the national side, because it was wrongly assumed that good players and good coaches were one and the same. What Van Heerden had lacked in physical prowess in rugby, he made up for by his tactical brilliance.

He qualified as a teacher at the Natal University College (now the University of KwaZulu-Natal), and became a school master at Durban High School, where he taught Afrikaans. A rugby pitch at the school is now named after him.

During World War II, Van Heerden served in North Africa, where he was taken prisoner along with another well known Natal University College alumnus, Durban High School schoolmaster and rugby coach, Bill Payn. He returned to teaching after the War.

He would frequently turn up to training sessions with Natal straight from school, donning the glasses, tweed jacket, or conservative dark suit that he wore at school. This was one of his many foibles, which endeared some people to him, and alienated others. He was a big, burly man, with a humorous, witty manner, a sharp temper, and a repertoire of ripe language which he used freely in both the classroom and on the rugby field. He looked every bit the rugby player.

Amongst the South African players who passed through his hands were Tommy Bedford,Keith Oxlee,Trix Truter and Snowy Suter.

But Van Heerden's success with Natal was only a foretaste of what was to come.

If Van Heerden was an unsung genius in his homeland, it was Argentina that gave him the chance to flourish, and show exactly what he was capable of.

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