The perils of the pandemic were thrust into sharp relief on Thursday with the passing of former provincial scrumhalf Gary Grant (55).

Having turned out a handful of times for Transvaal and Western Province, Grant found his real home in the cut and thrust of sport business where he demonstrated excellent marketing skills.

From 1996 until 2004 he worked at the SA Rugby Union, culminating in his appointment as marketing director under Rian Oberholzer, the chief executive.

He and Oberholzer subsequently founded In-Site Sports and when it became Accelerate Sport, Grant took the reins as MD, where one of his biggest accounts was Netball South Africa.

‘He was hard-working and very driven,’ said Oberholzer. ‘He took his job seriously, but it was always grounded in good humour.

Having been schooled at King Edward and Wits in Johannesburg, Grant moved to Cape Town in the early 1990s where he turned out for UCT and WP as a tidy and efficient No 9.

‘He was absolutely the best husband and father,’ said Debbie, his wife of 32 years.

Dean, his son, echoed these sentiments: ‘Just humble and a gentleman; he was always willing to go the extra mile and was incredibly determined.’

Grant is also survived by a daughter, Jamie.