Tuppy Diack will celebrate the birthday quietly with wife Margaret, who has already turned 90, at his Dunedin home.
Diack has loved and lived the game all his life.
Earlier this month, he was on the sideline watching his beloved University take on Southern for the VG Cavanagh Memorial Trophy at Bathgate Park.
Diack is a life member of both the Otago University Rugby Club and the Otago Rugby Football Union.
He wore the blue jersey for Otago from 1951 until 1964.
Diack went on to do about everything possible for the University club from coach to president, and he also was involved with Otago, being the president of the union in 2005.
He was still coaching into his 80s and was a fixture at many Highlanders and Otago training sessions over the years.
He played one test for the All Blacks — against the Lions in 1959 — and was in numerous All Black trials.
Rugby has been a passion since he was a boy.
He was named Ernest but was always called Tuppy after his father said, "Tuppence [two pence] hasn’t got a name yet."
Diack said his health was fine although two new knees and three hips courtesy of surgeon John Matheson helped.
He taught at John McGlashan College for nearly 30 years and still has a seat at Forsyth Barr Stadium to watch games.
A father of three and grandfather of five, his grandson, Morgan Jones, is playing premier club rugby for Taieri so he is also watching the Eels this season.
He is one of the last surviving players who turned out for Otago when it won the Ranfurly Shield in 1957. There was a 56-year wait before the union won it again.
Diack has seen plenty of the oval-ball game over time so what is his take on the modern game?
"Don’t get me started. It is too much like league. I am not a league fan although they do score some good tries," he said.
"But they need to get all those forwards out of the backline ... I’ve seen a few changes over my time but I’m sure I would enjoy it today. I would adjust to it."
