He picked up his lifelong nickname of "Kitch" from his fellow pupils, who named him after Don Kitchenbrand, a South African footballer with Rangers in the 1950s.
In 1980, Christie spent the South African winter (Northern Hemisphere summer) in the United States, coaching the Chicago Lions club.
Christie took over at a pivotal time, with the run-up to the 1995 Rugby World Cup, hosted by South Africa, and the first major competition for the Springboks after their return from international exile with the end of apartheid.
He began his international coaching career with back-to-back victories at home against Argentina in October 1994, followed by a successful tour to Europe in November 1994, when the team beat Scotland and Wales.
South Africa's reward for defeating France was a final against New Zealand, and their sensational wing Jonah Lomu, who had set the tournament alight with his tries, including four in their semi-final against England.
However, due to ill-health, he was unable to travel with the team to Australasia early in the season, and he was hospitalised a few weeks later after his condition took a turn for the worse.
It was there that Christie experienced one of the lowest moments in his career when he was fired as coach by Northerns' president Hentie Serfontein while he lay in his hospital bed.
He was able to return to rugby as a technical adviser to the Falcons in early 1998, but his condition worsened once more, entering hospital for the final time on Easter Sunday of 1998.
Christie died on 22 April 1998 in Pretoria,[2] leaving his wife Judy of 19 years, their son Clayton, and his two daughters, Catherine and Caroline, from a previous marriage.