'You were and are my first love,' says Amor of Joost

“You were and are my first love‚” rugby legend Joost van der Westhuizen’s estranged wife‚ singer Amor Vittone‚ posted on her Facebook page shortly after his death on Monday‚ adding that he was now "soaring with the angels and without pain".

Van der Westhuizen‚ a former Springbok captain and scrumhalf‚ died at his home in Johannesburg on Monday at the age of 45 after a long battle with a form of motor neuron disease which saw him confined to a wheelchair for the last years of his life.

He was rushed to hospital in a critical condition on Saturday morning.

In an emotional message in Afrikaans‚ Vittone said: “It is with a sore and heavy heart that we took leave of Joost an hour ago.

We are surrounded by family and much love. Joost‚ rest in peace and know that Jordan and Kylie will keep you tightly in their hearts. You are soaring with the angels without pain. You were and are my first love. We love you! Rest in peace with God and all the angels.”

(Dis met n seer en swaar hart‚ dat ons afskeid geneem het van Joost n uur terug. Ons is omhels met familie en baie liefde ❤. Joost‚ rus in vrede en weet dat Jordan en kylie‚ jou styf binne hul harte sal hou. Jy sweef saam met die engele sonder pyn. Jy was en is my eerste liefde. Ons is lief vir jou ! ❤ Rest in peace with God and all the angels.)