David Clark’s players hold him in such high regard that, when he was controversially sacked as Canada’s head coach on August 1 2001, they provoked a strike that ultimately led to his reinstatement in late November.
Clark had become Canada’s first professional coach with his appointment after Rugby World Cup 1999, having moved to the country in 1996 to run the Commonwealth Centre for Sports Development (PacificSport) rugby programme in Victoria.
Before that Clark, whose first Test in charge of Canada ended with a 29-11 defeat of Tonga in Vancouver in May 2000, occupied the role of Director and Head Coach of Rugby at the Australian Institute for Sport in Canberra.
The Australian played 300 first class games with the GPS Old Boys between 1957 and 1976, as well as 27 times for Queensland before becoming Director of Coaching with the latter in 1978, a position he held for a decade.
Clark was called up to the Australia squad for the series against New Zealand in 1962 and the tour of South Africa the following year, but a Test cap eluded him.