Chester Williams facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Chester Williams

Chester Williams in 2018
Birth name	Chester Mornay Williams
Date of birth	(1970-08-08)8 August 1970
Place of birth	Paarl, South Africa
Date of death	6 September 2019(2019-09-06) (aged 49)
Place of death	Cape Town, South Africa
Weight	84 kg (13 st 3 lb)
Notable relative(s)	Avril Williams (uncle)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Wing Provincial / State sides Years Team Apps (Points) 1991–1998 1999 Western Province Golden Lions 63 - Super Rugby Years Team Apps (Points) 1999–2000 Cats 18 (35) National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 1993–2000 South Africa 27 (70) Teams coached Years Team 2001–2003 2004–2005 2006 2007-2006 2007–2012 2012–2013 South Africa 7's Cats Uganda Mpumalanga Pumas Tunisia RCM Timişoara

Chester Mornay Williams (born August 8, 1970 – died September 6, 2019) was a famous South African rugby union player. He played as a winger for the South Africa national rugby union team (Springboks) from 1993 to 2000. He is best known for being part of the team that won the 1995 Rugby World Cup. This big event was held in South Africa.

Chester Williams was the only non-white player on the 1995 World Cup-winning team. During the tournament, he scored four tries in a quarter-final match. He also played in the semi-final and the final game. At home in South Africa, he played rugby for the Western Province in the Currie Cup.

After he stopped playing, Williams became a coach. He coached the South Africa national rugby sevens team and the Uganda national rugby union team. He also coached at the University of the Western Cape. In 2009, a movie called Invictus was made about the 1995 Rugby World Cup. Chester Williams was played by McNeil Hendricks in the film. Williams even helped coach the actors, like Matt Damon, for the rugby scenes. Chester Williams passed away on September 6, 2019, at the age of 49. Doctors believed he had a heart attack.

Chester Williams: Rugby Star

Chester Williams was a talented winger. He was a key player for the South African national team, the Springboks. Many people called him "The Black Pearl."

Playing for South Africa

Williams was first chosen for the 1995 Rugby World Cup team. He had to leave the team because of an injury. But he was called back later and played in the quarter-final. He scored an amazing four tries in that game. He then played in the semi-final and the final against New Zealand. South Africa won the final game 15–12.

Chester Williams was 1.74 meters (5 feet 8 inches) tall. He weighed about 84 kilograms (185 pounds) when he played. He was the first non-white player to join the Springboks team since the early 1980s. Before 1992, South Africa had a system called apartheid. This system kept people of different races separate. Because of this, it was not common for non-white players to be chosen for the national team.

He played his first game for the Springboks when he was 23. This was against Argentina on November 13, 1993. South Africa won that game 52–23, and Williams scored a try. His career with the Springboks ended on November 26, 2000. This was in a game against Wales. He played 27 games for the Springboks in total. He scored 14 tries and 70 points. He also won the Currie Cup in 1999 with the Golden Lions.

Playing for Provinces

At home in South Africa, Williams played for Western Province. He played 63 games for them between 1991 and 1998. He wore jersey number 11. After that, he joined the Golden Lions team. He helped them win the Currie Cup in 1999.

Life After Rugby

Chester Williams was chosen to carry the Olympic torch two times. He carried it for South Africa in 2004 for the Athens Olympics. He also carried it in 2016 for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

In 2010, Williams finished a tough mountain bike race called the Absa Cape Epic. This showed his love for sports continued after rugby.

The Invictus Film

The movie Invictus was directed by Clint Eastwood. It tells the story of the 1995 Rugby World Cup. It shows how the event helped South Africa heal after apartheid. The film features many scenes with Chester Williams. His face was even shown on the side of a South African Airways airplane in the movie.

Williams himself worked on the film as a rugby coach. He helped the actors, including Matt Damon, learn how to play rugby. They worked to make the rugby scenes look real.

His Passing

Chester Williams passed away on September 6, 2019. He was 49 years old. He was the fourth player from the 1995 World Cup-winning team to die. The others were Ruben Kruger, Joost van der Westhuizen, and James Small. James Small had died just two months before Williams.

Coaching Career

In 2001, Chester Williams became the coach for the South Africa national rugby sevens team. This team won a bronze medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games. They also finished second in the World Sevens Series. He coached the sevens team until 2003.

Later, he coached the Cats Super 12 team. He also coached the national "A" side for South Africa. In 2006, he coached the Uganda national rugby union team, called the Cranes, for a few months. He also coached the Pumas team in the Currie Cup.

His last coaching job was as head coach for the University of the Western Cape. Under his leadership, the university team won the 2017 Varsity Shield competition.

See also

• List of South Africa national rugby union players – Springbok no. 589
• List of South Africa national rugby sevens players