At the time of his passing, Van Zyl – who was born on 31 January 1936 near Ventersdorp – was the second oldest living Springbok, after Frik du Preez, who celebrated his 90th birthday on 28 November.
Van Zyl, who made his debut against New Zealand in Johannesburg on 5 June 1960 at the age of 24, was a wing with speed to burn. He scored two tries on debut and a year later, recorded a hat-trick against Australia at the same venue.
The Lions (then called Transvaal) speedster played 10 Tests in 1960 and 1961 and Mr Alexander paid tribute to a player who always gave everything he had for his teams.
SA Rugby pay tribute to the Springbok trailblazer
A left wing with lots of pace, Van Zyl was a formidable Springbok who started his career in the forwards before moving to the wing.
SA Rugby president Mark Alexander offered condolences after the news came to light.
“Even when his father tragically passed away in South Africa while Hennie was with the Boks on their Grand Slam tour between December 1960 and January 1961, he never gave anything but his best for the jersey.”
Cause of death
Van Zyl’s heath sadly started deteriorating a few years ago and he finally lost the battle with dementia on Monday.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and other loved ones during this very difficult time – may you find solace in the memories of someone who represented our country with pride and made his mark on the history of rugby in South Africa,” Alexander added.
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