BREAKING: Joost van der Westhuizen has died
South African rugby legend and scrumhalf Joost van der Westhuizen has died in Johannesburg at the age of 45, the J9 Foundation confirmed on Monday.
In a statement, the foundation said, "It is with great sadness that we confirm the passing of Joost. He passed away in his home surrounded by his loved ones. He will be sorely missed."
'Joost's family devastated' - J9 Foundation The family of Springbok legend Joost van der Westhuizen were with him when he succumbed to Motor Neuron Disease at the age of 45.
Van der Westhuizen had fought a public battle against MND. When he was diagnosed with a form of MND in 2011, at the age of 40, Van der Westhuizen was given two and a half years to live, yet he held on with the unwavering determination he showed on the field while playing for the Springboks, the Bulls and his beloved Blue Bulls.
Throughout his debilitating illness, which left him confined to a wheelchair and using a computer to communicate, Van der Westhuizen raised awareness about the disease and formed the charitable J9 Foundation to support his efforts.
Former South African Rugby World Cup winner team Captain Francois Pienaar (L) assisting his former teammate flyhalf Joost van der Westhuizen (Front), during a re-enactement of the team photo from the 1995 Rugby World cup victory on June 24, 2015 at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. Image: AFP PHOTO / GIANLUIGI GUERCIA
“I had a choice to either stay at home and die or continue to live my life,” he told The Telegraph in 2014.
“I have a platform and now I am using it to help with awareness of MND. They [the doctors] are going to tell them [MND patients] they have two to five years to live and that’s it – but you live as long as you want, as long as you are positive. They told me 24 months and I am now on 50.”
He had recently responded to reports in January this year that he was on an oxygen machine “for his survival”, telling Huisgenoot that the machine helped him breathe and sleep better.
“I’m doing well under the circumstances,” he told the magazine. “I pray for everyone who is sick because with Jesus there can be miracles. While we’re still breathing, God has a plan for us.”
Star player
Van der Westhuizen represented his country 89 times during a decade-long career starting in 1993.
Born and raised in Pretoria, he was part of the South African team that emerged victorious from the 1995 Rugby World Cup victory in front of former president Nelson Mandela.
A respected leader, he went on to captain South Africa at the 1999 World Cup and was the most-capped player in Springbok history by the time of his international retirement in 2003.
Joost van der Westhuizen clearing the ball out of the scrum during the Rugby World Cup Pool C match between South Africa and Samoa at Lang Park in Brisbane on November 01, 2003. Image: AFP
In 2007, he was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame – run by a charitable trust – and seven years later became a member of the World Rugby Hall of Fame when the trust’s structure merged with the International Rugby Board’s own hall of fame.
The highlights of his career as scrumhalf included World Cup appearances in 1995, 1999 and 2003; the 1998 Tri-Nations; and Currie Cup trophies in 1998 and 2002.
The Real Rugby channel on YouTube described Joost as “The Fearless Champion” in a tribute video posted in 2016. See it here:
After his retirement from the sport and before he fell ill, he enjoyed a highly public profile in South Africa while working as a television pundit, though he became the target of celebrity magazines that reported on his extramarital liaisons and alleged drug use. He later admitted to some of those claims.
Van der Westhuizen lived in Johannesburg and is survived by his wife, singer Amor Vittone, a son and a daughter.
- TMG Digital