South African World Cup winner Joost van der Westhuizen dies at 45
Springbok legend, who was the scrumhalf for his team during their World Cup triumph in 1995, dies from neurone disease
Joost van der Westhuizen, the scrumhalf for the South African side that triumphed at the 1995 Rugby World Cup, died on Monday at age 45 after a long battle with motor neurone disease, his charitable foundation said.
Hailed as one of South Africa’s greatest, Van der Westhuizen played 89 tests between 1993 and 2003 and scored 38 test tries for the Springboks, a record at the time. He captained the team to the bronze medal at the 1999 World Cup.
“Joost will be remembered as one of the greatest Springboks - not only of his generation, but of all time,” SA Rugby President Mark Alexander said in a statement, calling him “one of the best scrumhalves world rugby has ever seen”.
“He also became an inspiration and hero to many fellow sufferers of this terrible disease as well as to those unaffected. We all marvelled at his bravery, his fortitude and his uncomplaining acceptance of this terrible burden.”
Van der Westhuizen was given two-and-a-half years to live when he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a form of motor neurone disease, in 2011.