Nick Mallett (Nicholas Vivian Howard Mallett), was coach of the Springbok rugby teams between 1997 and 2000, and is a is a former South African rugby union player.
He was born in Hertford Heath, England and moved to the then Rhodesia with his family when he was only six weeks old.
His father, Anthony Mallett was an English teacher at the recently founded Peterhouse School, in Marandellas near Salisbury.
Nick first arrived in Cape Town in 1963, when his father was appointed principal of the Diocesan College.
He attended St Andrew’s College in Grahamstown and graduated from the University of Cape Town in 1977 with a BA in English and history.
While a student at the university, he was selected to play for the Western Province rugby union team.
In 1979 Mallett moved back to England to attend the University of Oxford, where he not only gained further qualifications but also participated in rugby and cricket.
He was famous for hitting three sixes in one over off Ian Botham during his university years.
Mallet eventually he returned to South Africa, where he represented Western Province in four consecutive Currie Cup wins between 1982 and 1985 and played two matches for the Springboks in 1984 against the South American Jaguars.
