Where is joost van der westhuizen

True great. Cruel blow. Comment posted by neverknowinglyundersold, at 6 Feb neverknowinglyundersold. With a totally jaundiced eye I never liked him. I had no good reason other than that he was so bloody good and ran rings round the opposition! To learn that one of the greats has gone at such a young age brings a lump to the throat! Comment posted by vanhunks, at 6 Feb vanhunks.

Rest in peace, Joost. You have borne your illness bravely and with dignity. Sad to hear this. Joost was a brave guy and a terrific scrum half. A legend on the pitch, a warrior off it. Comment posted by james, at 6 Feb james. Very sad day for the rugby world. True legend Thought are with his family. Comment posted by clovisguy, at 6 Feb clovisguy. Very sad news, but who-ever wrote this article should do their homework. It is more prevalent sadly than you would think.

R I P to a very brave man, who will have fought this crippling disease the way he played. A true south African legend and fighter. Comment posted by Pedro, at 6 Feb Pedro. The world is a lesser place for his passing, but a much better place for his life.

He gave pleasure to many who watched him play and inspired many both on and off the pitch. Condolences to his family. I remember watching him in the 90s - he was a fantastic player. More comments Back to top.

Top Stories. Australia stun Pakistan to reach final. Wales secure play-off place at least. Arthur resigns as Yorkshire chief exec. Rugby notifications, social media and more. When he left, no one had won as many Springbok caps.

Before illness struck, Van der Westhuizen was not universally popular in the game. He could come across as cold and aloof and he was not afraid to express his opinions about the crime wave in his country. Before he led South Africa in the World Cup in England and Wales, a tournament in which the Springboks were knocked out in the semi-finals by the eventual winners, Australia, he seriously considered a move to Bath. Instead he opted to stay in South Africa with the Blue Bulls. Life began to unravel in when he suffered a suspected heart attack, after discovering a weakness in his right arm that he thought was an old rugby injury flaring up.

In March he became embroiled in a sex-tape and cocaine scandal. He then lost his job as a pundit for the South African broadcaster SuperSport. Van der Westhuizen, a committed Christian, was contrite, but the lurid headlines continued.

He was admitted to hospital in Johannesburg on Saturday, where his condition was described as "critical". SA rugby president Mark Alexander paid tribute to the former Springboks number nine. Former team-mates and opponents spoke of their sadness at the news and their admiration for van der Westhuizen. Joel Stransky, the man who took van der Westhuizen's pass to kick the winning drop goal in the RWC final, was one of those who posted on social media to remember the former number nine.

His contemporary, English superboot Jonny Wilkinson paid tribute, describing van der Westhuizen as "a guy I feared as an opponent, respected hugely as a player and will miss deeply as a very courageous human being. An incredible player and fighter to the end. The first of the new age 9s," he tweeted. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work.

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