Varejes on Joost and MND: 'We cried together that day but we never cried again'

Chairman of the South African Rugby Legends Gavin Varejes paid an emotional tribute to former Bok skipper Joost van der Westhuizen in Pretoria on Friday.

Van der Westhuizen‚ the former Bulls and Springbok scrumhalf‚ died in a Johannesburg hospital on Monday following a six-year battle against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis‚ a form of motor neuron disease (MND).

• WATCH LIVE: Joost van der Westhuizen memorial serviceFriends, family and fans are gathering to pay tribute to rugby legend Joost van der Westhuizen at his memorial service in Pretoria. 

He was 45.

Varejes praised Joost's fighting spirit and courage in the face of the terminal illness and asked the crowd at the public memorial service at Loftus Versfeld to celebrate rather than mourn his life.

“The most important thing that we were all ready to say goodbye to Joost‚” Varejes said.

“We were ready for him to go‚ but I wasn’t ready for him to be gone. None of us were. I don’t want to mourn his death‚ I want to celebrate his life.

"I don't’ want to have a minute’s silence for Joost; I want to have a minute’s applause for Joost (the crowd gave a standing ovation).

“I’m sure that around the world there are more people wearing the green and gold today than in the 1995 World Cup.

• Joost memorial: ‘As a coach you wished you had 15 Joosts’The memorial for Springbok legend Joost van der Westhuizen is being held at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Friday. 

“I remember the day in 2011 when he came to my office to share the news of his MND with me.

"We cried together that day but we never cried again. We had just been on a Legends tour in Argentina‚ and Joost never dropped a ball. But that tour he dropped the ball and that was possibly the start of MND.

"But let the record show that the last game Joost played in SA colours we beat the British & Irish Lions.

"Every game from now on at Rugby Legend’s‚ the scrumhalf will wear J9.

“Joost never gave up. Straightaway he said ‘we’re going to find a cure for this.’ We did everything we could.”

• Joost van der Westhuizen's children bid farewell with heartbreaking tribute letters Those close to rugby legend Joost van der Westhuizen gathered at the Lewende Woord Church in Brummeria, Pretoria to bid farewell to him during a private funeral service on Friday morning.  

Varejes read out numerous messages from around the world including words from Her Serene Highness‚ Princess Charlene of Monaco‚ All Black great Dan Carter‚ former Bok skipper’s John Smit‚ Jean de Villiers and Corne Krige and cricketers AB de Villiers‚ Shane Warne and Jacques Kallis.

“All these letters I received have a common thread – ‘Joost was the greatest‚ most skilled and opponents all had a gameplan against him’ they indicated‚” Varejes said.

“He walked a difficult road but held his head with dignity and grace.

“You left after doing what God needed you to do. As the Italians say‚ it’s not goodbye‚ it’s arrivederci – until we meet again. We love you.”

- TMG Digital/TMG Sport