Springbok legend Joost van der Westhuizen dies
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The J9 foundation, the charity founded Joost van der Westhuizen, has formally confirmed the passing of the Springbok rugby legend at 14:28 (South Africa time) today.
The 45-year-old ex-scrumhalf has been fighting with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a form of Motor Neurone Disease (MND), since 2011. He recently required an oxygen tank to assist his breathing on occasion and was rushed to hospital early on Saturday morning in critical condition.
A member of the victorious 1995 World Cup Rugby winning side, van der Westhuizen had a long and celebrated rugby career. Before joining the national side, he spent his entire club career at the Super Rugby side Blue Bulls, debuting in 1992. An unusually tall scrum half (6 ft 1 ins or 185 cm), van der Westhuizen was largely credited with the Springboks’ success in 1995. His ambitious and aggressive tackles prevented many an opposition try and his talent for spotting even the tiniest gaps in their defence made for a true rugby legend. He played in 89 Test matches for the Springboks and scored 38 tries before retiring from rugby in 2003.
Apart from 89 Tests, Van der Westhuizen played a further 22 tour matches for the Springboks for a total of 111 appearances in Green and Gold. He scored 56 tries in total for the Springboks, which was finally overtaken by Bryan Habana in 2014. He also captained the Boks in 10 Tests.
Van der Westhuizen first experienced the symptoms of the debilitating disease towards the end of 2008. He was formally diagnosed in 2011 and given a maximum of two years to live.
When asked how he kept going after his diagnosis, van der Westhuizen replied: “I had a choice. Either I stay at home and die or I live my life.”
And so he did. He dedicated his remaining years to his children, Jordan (13) and Kylie (10), and to his non-profit project called J9, which helps those living with Motor Neurone Disease.
“Joost will be remembered as one of the greatest Springboks – not only of his generation, but of all time,” said Mr Mark Alexander, President of SA Rugby.
