Joost van der Westhuizen

Joost van der Westhuizen was a legendary Springbok scrum-half and 1995 Rugby World Cup winner who became an advocate for motor neurone disease awareness after his diagnosis.

Joost Heystek van der Westhuizen was born on 20 February 1971 in Pretoria, South Africa, and studied for a Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Pretoria while playing for the Junior Springboks. Standing 1.88 metres tall — unusually tall for a scrum-half — he made his international debut in 1993 and quickly became one of the most feared players in the position the game has ever produced. Van der Westhuizen played every provincial match of his career for the Blue Bulls, and was a key figure in South Africa's historic 1995 Rugby World Cup triumph on home soil, memorably tasked with containing New Zealand's Jonah Lomu in the final — a duel later dramatised in the film "Invictus." He captained the Springboks at the 1999 World Cup, guiding the team to a third-place finish. Van der Westhuizen retired in 2003 as South Africa's most-capped player with 89 Tests and its all-time leading try scorer with 38 — a scrum-half record that stood for over a decade. He was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame in 2007. In 2011, van der Westhuizen was diagnosed with motor neurone disease, and despite a prognosis of just two to five years, he spent his remaining years as a tireless advocate for research into the condition, founding the J9 Foundation to fund treatment and support for fellow sufferers. He died on 6 February 2017, at age 45, in Johannesburg, having become one of the most admired figures in South African sport for the courage of his final battle.

Van der Westhuizen was known for his lightning-quick service from the base of scrums and rucks, providing clean, fast ball to his fly-half. He possessed exceptional acceleration and running ability, often exploiting gaps around the fringes with his darting runs. His tactical kicking was precise and he had strong leadership qualities that made him an effective captain.

Van der Westhuizen set the standard for modern scrum-half play with his speed of service and attacking threat around the breakdown. His courage in battling motor neuron disease after retirement inspired many and raised significant awareness for the condition.

• Rugby World Cup winner 1995
• South Africa all-time try-scoring record for a scrum-half
• World Rugby Hall of Fame

Club Career

Club	Period	Apps	Tries	Shirt
Bulls	1993–2003	—	0	#9
Lions	1989–1993	141	—	#9
South Africa	—	89	38	—