Durban - The KwaZulu-Natal rugby community is mourning the death of former Natal coach Koos Beukes who passed away on Wednesday evening doing what he loved most.

According to Sharks website editor, Michael Marnewick, Beukes was attending a Sharks Coaching Society coaching clinic at Kings Park when he collapsed and sadly passed away.

The 66-year-old Beukes coached Natal (as the Sharks were then known as) from 1982 to 1985 when they were playing B Section Currie Cup rugby. His crowning glory as coach of the province was leading Natal to the 1984 Currie Cup final, which they lost 19-9 to Western Province at Newlands.

He was an enthusiastic and respected rugby personality and will be missed by the rugby community and his family, wife Paddy, daughter Nicky, and two sons, Chris and Greg who both played Craven Week (Chris was also selected for SA Schools, Transvaal and Eastern Province).

His love of rugby began when he was just a youngster growing up in Ladysmith where his father was the Railways coach. In 1958, the Beukes family moved to Durban where he attended Port Natal High School and went on to represent Natal at Under 20 level.

After taking medical advice to quit the game when aged just 24 he turned to coaching at Glenwood Old Boys and took charge of the Natal U20 side in 1979. At the age of 36 he was appointed the Natal coach in 1982 and in 1984 guided the side, led by Wynand Claassen, from the B section to the Currie Cup final against Western Province in Cape Town.