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S O U T H A F R I C A N L E G E N D S | C R E A T E D B Y P E E T V I L J O E N

A L E G E N D I S B O R N

• Joost van der Westhuizen (born 20 February 1971) is a South African former rugby union player who played as a scrum-half for the national team.

• Joost represented South Africa in 89 test matches, scoring 38 tries, and was a member of the victorious South African rugby team at the 1995 World Cup. He was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame in 2007,[1] and became a member of the World Rugby Hall of Fame when the International Hall was merged with the IRB Hall of Fame in 2014.

Joost began his career with the Blue Bulls, a club he played for his entire rugby career from 1995-2003

He spent his entire career as a scrum half, and has

the honor of being part of the first ever South African

team to win the Rugby World Cup when the

Springboks triumphed on home soil in 1993

T H E 1 9 9 5 W O R L D C U P

J O O S T AT T H E 1 9 9 5 R U G B Y W O R L D C U P

• Joost had the honor of being part of the first ever South African team to win the Rugby World Cup when the Springboks triumphed on home soil in 1995.

• Many observers of the game highlighted Van der Westhuizen's contribution to the team as vital, and a driving force behind the team's successes

C H A L L E N G E S

• Near the end of 2008, Van der Westhuizen first noticed weakness in his right arm, writing it off to the aftereffects of an old rugby injury.

• A few months later, after noticing this same weakness in his arm, he consulted with friend who is also a personal doctor. The doctor suspected motor neuron disease, a diagnosis that was confirmed in 2011. At that time, Van der Westhuizen was given between two and five years to live.

• An August 2013 BBC Sport report illustrated the progress of his disease — by then, van der Westhuizen was confined to a wheelchair, and his speech had grown increasingly slurred.

• “I realize every day could be my last. It's been a rollercoaster from day one and I know I'm on a deathbed from now on. I've had my highs and I have had my lows, but no more. I'm a firm believer that there's a bigger purpose in my life and I am very positive, very happy.”

C O U R A G E & D E T E R M I N AT I O N

• Despite the challenges ahead of him, Joost continued to take his life in strong strides. He established the J9 Foundation to help those whose lives have been affected by the same disease he is battling.

• This year, Joost was awarded for his service as Springbok captain , and a 2015 Gauteng Sport Awards, for his achievements and service to the country.

South Africa will never forget the bravery and prowess of Joost van der Westhuizen in his past as the Springbok captain and in the present as a fighter and champion for what he believes in.

S O U T H A F R I C A N H E R O E S