RWC 1995 anniversary: Remembering Joost van der Westhuizen
Next Tuesday will officially mark the 30th anniversary of the 1995 World Cup final, a match in which Joost van der Westhuizen pulled off one of the all-time great tackles on All Blacks superstar Jonah Lomu.
That was just one special moment in a career littered with heroic acts from Van der Westhuizen, who is undoubtedly one of the greatest Springboks to have ever donned the green and gold.
Tragically, Joost is one of five Springbok players from that RWC final who has passed away.
In the second part of this remembrance series, we look back at the career of the legendary scrumhalf.
You can find part one here
Van der Westhuizen added a Tri-Nations and two Currie Cup titles to his honours roll in a career that lasted eight years beyond the 1995 World Cup. He went on to represent the Boks at the 1999 and 2003 World Cups before retiring as the then most-capped Springbok.
Capped 89 times for the Springboks Joost became the country's first choice scrumhalf in the mid-to-late nineties to early 2000s retiring a rugby legend with a career test try tally of 38 earning him the record of being the scrum-half with the most tries in Test Rugby.
Inducted in the International Rugby Hall of Fame in 2007 he represented South Africa in three Rugby World Cups in 1995, 1999 and 2003. Of course one of his most iconic moments came during the famous 1995 triumph when he completed an incredible tackle on Lomu.
He is also the only Springbok to captain his country in both the Sevens and the 15-man games in World Cups.
After retirement, stints in front of the cameras at SuperSport followed briefly before he moved into other avenues of business.
Van der Westhuizen was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2011, an illness he fought until he passed away at the age of 45 in 2017. The J9 Foundation, founded in 2012, assists other MND sufferers, and Van der Westhuizen's family remains actively involved with this charity.
*Keep an eye on TheSouthAfrican as the four remaining articles in this remembrance content series will be published over the next few days
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211.
Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
2 hours ago
- The Citizen
Rassie confirms Ethan Hooker considered in midfield for Springboks
Exciting rising Sharks talent Ethan Hooker is set to be deployed in the midfield should he get a chance for the Springboks in their first four games of the season over the coming month. The Boks get their 2025 season under way with a non-Test against the Barbarians in Cape Town next week, before taking on Italy in Pretoria and Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth), and Georgia in Mbombela as part of the incoming series. Bok coach Rassie Erasmus has said that he is going to use these four games to experiment a bit, give some caps to players who have less experience, and try build some winning momentum ahead of the Rugby Championship. The 22-year-old Hooker, who started off his senior career with the Sharks at centre, has been largely used on the wing over the past season and has played superbly. Erasmus, however, said Hooker would be considered as a centre. 'We don't put pressure on those guys (the unions) to play certain guys in certain positions or certain styles (of play). That's why we have the alignment camps, just to make sure the guys know what we expect at Springbok level and in the year what they will have to change,' explained Erasmus. Read more: Springboks need different mindset for Barbarians challenge: 'They can rip you apart' 'So we don't put them (the Bok squad) on the field before the physical training camp that we have now had (ahead of the start of the season). 'It's very difficult to judge a guy like Ethan Hooker who (usually) plays wing for the Sharks, and they've got a certain defence system. But we see him as a 13 and want to use him there.' De Allende link-up Springbok veteran inside centre Damian de Allende is looking forward to possibly playing alongside Hooker this season, and helping to guide a player who he believes is set to have a long career with the Boks. 'I think I can learn a lot from Ethan. The way he's played in the URC this (past) season has been incredible. I think he's been the backbone of the Sharks backline. He's always going forward and is very dominant,' said De Allende. 'I would love to train with him a bit more and obviously play with him. Just to get a good feel for him and his communication on the field. I have trained alongside him a bit, but it hasn't been that much. But (from what I have seen) he's got a good head on his shoulders and a great future ahead of him. 'So myself, Jesse (Kriel), Andre (Esterhuizen), and Lukhy (Lukhanyo Am), will do the best we can to make sure that we can give him as much knowledge as possible, so that when he does get the opportunity, he is ready and can go out there and express himself.'
IOL News
2 hours ago
- IOL News
Proteas Women coach Mandla Mashimbiyi kicks of tenure with a bang
Just his second tour in charge of the Proteas Women and coach Mandla Mashimbiyi is looking like he's shaping up some future World Cup holders. The Proteas Women defeated the West Indies by 50 runs in the first of three T20 matches on Friday night, where Tazmin Brits (98 not out) did most of the heavy lifting with the bat. All rounder Nadine de Klerk said Mashimbiyi has instilled a decent amount of positive intent in the ladies, especially in the attitudes towards which they approach the game. Brits was the only Proteas to put up a score on Friday night, contributing more than half to the Proteas 183 runs which they set. Throughout this series, since the first ODI match in Barbados, the Proteas have batted first as conditions in the Caribbean favour the bowlers. But the green and gold showed that statistics and analysis only count for a meagre amount when it comes to the game of cricket, which is why it is played on the field and not on paper. But the statistics under Mashimbiyi look good so far, in his first West Indies's T20 series outing as coach. 'We just had the one T20 training session before the game, it was a pretty tight schedule but we did a lot of stuff in training. I know there weren't a lot of batters that scored runs but everyone went out there and tried to go for it," said De Klerk. 'I think the positive intent we are batting with is really good to see. Even in the ODI's, we reached 300 runs in six out of our 12 innings and made 180 today (on Friday). "I think him really promoting positivity, taking the game on and not being scared to fail is really paying off for us as a side." De Klerk said Brits' innings of 98 not out was one of the best innings she has seen in women's cricket, taking the West Indies on despite the lack of support from the other end. Mashimbiyi's 'bomb squad', made up of Annerie Dercksen, De Klerk and Chloe Tryon did not make any real contributions on Friday night besides De Klerk's 21 off 17 balls. Experience has counted when it matters for the Proteas Women, with Brits and Marizanne Kapp having a consistent series so far. Kapp has been instrumental with the ball since joining the squad at the beginning of the tour, snatching 2/27 from three overs on Friday night. 'In the ideal world, we would like everybody to contribute. Taz scored 70% of our runs today (Friday night) but I think we know what we have in our team and sometimes its different people raising their hands up every single game. "In the ODI's, we had a few different girls putting in some performances as well. But hopefully we just take a lot of confidence out of this win,' De Klerk said.
The Citizen
4 hours ago
- The Citizen
Bok lock Lood de Jager still happy with his decision to play in Japan
The 32-year-old Springbok said he is very happy to have signed up for five years of rugby in Japan. Springbok lock Lood de Jager is still enjoying playing rugby in Japan after three seasons there, and is excited for the two more seasons on his contract. The 32-year-old said he has developed his game and gained invaluable experience in his time at the Wild Knights, which followed three seasons at Sale Sharks in England. Finances and family He explained that the financial prospect of playing overseas and the well-being of his family were factors in his decision to leave our shores after several successful years at the Cheetahs and Bulls. 'Especially with the wife and kids… If you aren't happy off-field, it really translates to on the field,' De Jager said. 'For me, I am happy with the decisions I made. I always wanted to experience playing in Europe, playing Champions Cup, playing Premiership, testing myself against the best over there. And before that, it's Super Rugby over here. You get to play against the best of Argentina, New Zealand and Australia.' He said the variety of experience had done much for his game and his spirits. That is why he is still open about his future, saying anything could happen in two years and he could stay in Japan, return to SA, or play elsewhere. He would go wherever he could still develop his game and keep his family happy. ALSO READ: Damian de Allende would love to end his career at the Stormers De Jager says rugby standard increasing in Japan 'Then Japan, I am really enjoying it over there. You get to develop different parts of your game around the world. Rugby is played differently. Everyone thinks a bit differently about the game and I think if you can take the best of all of that it helps you be a more complete player. He said while the standard of rugby has picked up in Japan, with world-class players and coaches pushing a more running-focused game, he would encourage upcoming players enjoying their rugby in South Africa to appreciate the United Rugby Championship as a platform to make a name for themselves. Still, he said it was great being back in the Springbok fold after being out since July 2023 because of injury. 'The easy part was being with good friends again. Seeing them again and being able to train with them, spend day to day in camp. It was great seeing the guys again and talking about old stories.'
