Rugby became a lifelong love

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Jiří Kotlový was born on April 22, 1927 in Ivanovice na Hané as the younger of two children to parents Ludvík and Klementina Kotlovi. His father Ludvík Kotlowyj came from Ukraine. He fought in the First World War, after which he stayed in Czechoslovakia. His parents met in Ivanovice, where they both worked at the state veterinary institute. After the wedding, they started using the czech version of the surname Kotlový/Kotlová. In 1942, Jiří entered the Baťa Labor School in Zlín, where he trained to be a mechanical fitter. He then worked at Baťá factory for most of his life. In 1944, he was at the founding of the rugby club in Zlín. He played actively until the age of 35, then coached the young and men in Gottwald. In the eighties, he worked as a coach of the Czechoslovak national team. As a passionate philatelist, he collected rugby-themed postage stamps and postal items. Thanks to his philatelic contacts, he also managed to arrange several friendly matches with players from other countries. He is the recipient of the FIRA (Fédération Internationale de Rugby Amateur) bronze badge for services to rugby. He and his wife Helena raised two children Jiří and Jana. He is the author of the publications Rugby Zlín 1944–1994 and Povídání o rugby. In 2023, at the time of filming, he lived in Zlín.