Tuesday 2 December 2014 18:45, UK
Irish rugby legends have paid tribute to the late Jack Kyle at a special thanksgiving service in Belfast.
Kyle, who died last week aged 88, was once voted the best rugby player Ireland ever produced. He was a jinking fly-half who won 46 caps for his country and six for the British and Irish Lions, and inspired Ireland to a Five Nations Grand Slam in 1948.
Ireland and Lions stars Willie John McBride and Mike Gibson hailed Kyle's qualities as a player and a man after attending the emotional event in Belfast.
How do you define a gentleman? Well, for me it is two words and those are 'Jack Kyle'
As talented on the pitch as off it, Kyle worked as a surgeon in Zambia for over 30 years after hanging up his rugby boots, and was vocal in his disapproval of segregation practices there.
Speaking at the service, 1974 Lions’ captain McBride said he was proud to have called Kyle a friend.
"He was one of the great men," he said.
"How do you define gentleman? Well, for me it is two words and those are 'Jack Kyle'.”
Gibson said people would be hard pressed to find someone who disagreed with the assessment that Kyle was the finest player to ever wear the green shirt.
"I was with Jack at a dinner when he was named as the best player ever produced by Ireland and he felt embarrassed by it, he felt humbled by it - but that was the nature of the man,” he said.
