Jack Kyle presents Sport Services award to Michael Reid

Although a player and referee, it was as an adminstrator that Reid came to prominence.

He played rugby for Belfast club Collegians and for Old Wesley in Dublin.

He was a senior referee and also had a coaching role with the first 15 at Methodist College, Belfast.

Reid was honorary secretary of the Ulster branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union from the mid-1970s to mid-1980s and at the same time was an Ulster and Ireland selector.

He became president of the Ulster branch in the mid 1980s and was elected on to the Irish international committee.

Memorable quarter-final

Perhaps the highlight of Reid's career came when he acted as team manager for Ireland in the 1991 World Cup.

Ireland came close to beating the mighty Australians in a memorable quarter-final at Lansdowne Road in Dublin.

Reid then became IRFU president in 1994.

Later, he was appointed the first manager of Ulster in the professional era, a post he held for three years.

Despite recent ill-health, Reid is still involved in the game at committee level.

Tribute

Recently, he was named as the winner of the 2000 Services to Sport award, organised by the Belfast Telegraph.

Due to health problems, Reid was unable to attend the BBC-televised awards banquet in Belfast's Europa Hotel.

His son Michael Reid, chief executive of the Ulster branch of the IRFU, accepted the award on his behalf.

It was presented by Irish rugby legend Jack Kyle, outhalf in the Grand Slam winning year of 1948.