Pretorius played at scrumhalf for North-West Cape, where his influence in establishing a club structure was immense, and he is regarded as one of the best players from that union. He played in 12 Rhodes Cup tournaments between 1950 and 1971 and received national colours in 1959 and 1963.

“Like so many of his contemporaries, ‘Pietie’ could not qualify to represent South Africa on the international stage due to the political climate of the time, but he was certainly good enough to play for the Springboks,” said Mr Alexander.

“He played a massive role in bringing rugby to the communities of the Northern Cape and as a teacher in Upington, he was key to getting young players involved in the game.

“As a scrumhalf, he brought calmness, energy, and skills to his teams, but that was also how he lived his life away from the field. He was a steadfast, dutiful, and balanced person who made a big contribution to his community.

“Our thoughts are with his wife, his children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, family, friends and other loved ones in this very sad time. May you find solace in the memories of a great man.”