IN PICTURES: The life of Joost van der Westhuizen
Former Springbok captain Joost van der Westhuizen died on Monday in Johannesburg, after a six year long battle against motor neuron disease (MND).
Van der Westhuizen represented his country 89 times during a decade-long career starting in 1993. TimesLIVE has compiled this timeline of the rugby legends life:
1971 - Born, February, 20
1977 - starts primary school at Laerskool Derdepoort
1980 July 12 - Attends first Springbok Test at Loftus when Boks lost 13-17 British & Irish Lions
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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.
1983 - starts High School at FH Odendaal, excels at athletics and rugby
1987 - influential in guiding FH Odendaal to its first Administrators Cup final. They lose 18-14 to Hugenote from Springs. Hugenote contain future Springboks Japie Mulder and Chris Rossouw. With Van der Westhuizen there are three future 1995 World Cup winners in the match.
1989-92 - plays for Tukkies.
1992 March - makes provincial debut for Northern Transvaal against Transvaal in a ‘Night Series’ friendly.
1992 April - first-class debut for Northern Transvaal against Eastern Transvaal.
1992 May - makes Currie Cup debut against Transvaal
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'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.
1992 August - plays for Junior Springboks against the touring All Blacks
1993 April - represents Bok sevens at the World Cup in Edinburgh
1993 May - makes Super 10 debut for Northern Transvaal
1993 June/July - unused substitute for the Springboks in both Tests against the touring French
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1993 July - Makes Bok debut against Western Australia in Perth, scoring four tries
1993 October - makes Test debut against Argentina and scores a try
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1995 June - influential as Boks win World Cup on home soil
1995 November - marries first wife Marlene Terblanche
1997/98 - Boks win 17 Tests in a row, Joost plays in 14 of those matches
1998 - wins first Currie Cup with the Blue Bulls.
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1999 - becomes Bok captain and leads them to the World Cup -October 2002, captain’s Blue Bulls to Currie Cup title
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2002 - October marries singer Amor Vittone
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2003 - plays in his third World Cup before retiring
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2009 - video emerges of a man having sex with a woman in film, there are claims it’s Joost. He denies.
2009 - Joost admits he was the man in the video.
2011 - Diagnosed with MND
2015 -inducted in Rugby Hall of Fame
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2017 - Dies age 45
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