Joost van der Westhuizen facts for kids

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Joost van der Westhuizen

van der Westhuizen in 2014
Birth name	Joost van der Westhuizen
Date of birth	(1971-02-20)20 February 1971
Place of birth	Pretoria, South Africa
Date of death	6 February 2017(2017-02-06) (aged 45)
Place of death	Johannesburg, South Africa
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight	90 kg (14 st 2 lb; 198 lb)
School	Hoërskool F.H. Odendaal
University	University of Pretoria
Occupation(s)	Professional Sportsman
Rugby union career
Position(s) Scrum-half Provincial / State sides Years Team Apps (Points) 1993–2003 Blue Bulls () Correct as of 26 December 2007 Super Rugby Years Team Apps (Points) 1996–2003 Bulls 71 (61) Correct as of 15 September 2012 National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 1993–2003 South Africa Springboks (non test) 89 22 (190) (90) Correct as of 15 September 2012

Joost van der Westhuizen (born February 20, 1971 – died February 6, 2017) was a famous South African rugby union player. He played as a scrum-half for the national team, known as the Springboks. Joost played in 89 test matches and scored 38 tries. Many people consider him one of the best scrum-halves ever.

He led the national team ten times as captain. He was also part of the team that won South Africa's first Tri-Nations title in 1998. For his club career, he played for the Blue Bulls from 1993 to 2003. With them, he won two Currie Cup trophies. He also played Super 12 for the Bulls until he retired in 2003. Joost was added to the International Rugby Hall of Fame in 2007 and later to the World Rugby Hall of Fame.

In 2011, Joost was diagnosed with motor neurone disease. Even though he later needed a wheelchair and had trouble speaking, he worked hard to raise awareness for the disease. He did this through his charity, the J9 Foundation.

Joost van der Westhuizen: Rugby Legend

Early Life and Beginnings

Joost van der Westhuizen was born in Pretoria, South Africa, on February 20, 1971. He went to Hoërskool F.H. Odendaal for school. Later, he studied at the University of Pretoria, where he earned a degree in Commerce. Before playing for the main Springboks team, he played for the Junior Springboks in 1992.

A Star on the Rugby Field

Joost spent his entire club career with the Blue Bulls in South Africa. He played for them from 1993 until he retired in 2003. He also played for the Bulls in the Super 12 competition from its start in 1996 until 2003.

Playing Style and Key Moments

Joost always played as a scrum-half. This was unusual because he was quite tall for that position, standing at 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 meters). He was famous for his ability to find and break through even the smallest gaps in the opposing team's defense.

His first international match for South Africa was in 1993. He was 22 years old and played against Argentina in Buenos Aires. The next year, he scored two memorable tries against Scotland at Murrayfield.

World Cup Glory: 1995

South Africa hosted the 1995 Rugby World Cup. This was a very special event because it was the first time South Africa played in a World Cup. The country had been banned from international sports before due to Apartheid. In the final match, the Springboks played against New Zealand, who were expected to win. New Zealand had a very strong player, Jonah Lomu, who was known for his powerful runs. Joost van der Westhuizen played a key role in marking Lomu and made several important tackles. South Africa won the final, which was a huge moment for the country.

Leading the Springboks

In 1997, Joost captained South Africa's Sevens team. They reached the final of the 1997 Rugby World Cup Sevens in Hong Kong, but lost to Fiji. Joost was part of the team that won South Africa's first Tri-Nations title in 1998. He also led the Bulls to win the 1998 Currie Cup.

He first captained the main South Africa team in 1999. That year, South Africa finished third at the World Cup. Joost played in three Rugby World Cups, being the first South African to do so. His last World Cup was in 2003, where South Africa lost to the All Blacks in the quarter-finals.

In November 2003, Joost van der Westhuizen retired from international rugby. At that time, he held the record for the most test caps (89 matches) and the most test tries (38 tries) for South Africa. He played a total of 111 matches for South Africa and captained them in ten test matches.

Amazing Achievements

Joost van der Westhuizen received many honors for his incredible rugby career. In 2007, he was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame. Later, in 2015, he became a member of the World Rugby Hall of Fame. This happened when the International Hall merged with the World Rugby Hall of Fame. These honors show how important and respected he was in the world of rugby.

His Fight and Legacy

In May 2011, it was announced that Joost van der Westhuizen had been diagnosed with motor neuron disease (MND). This is a serious condition that affects the brain and nerves. He first noticed weakness in his right arm in late 2008, but thought it was from an old rugby injury.

As the disease progressed, Joost began using a wheelchair. His speech also became difficult to understand. Despite these challenges, he worked hard to raise awareness about MND. He created a charity called the J9 Foundation. This foundation helps to raise money and support research for MND. He also spent a lot of time with his children, Jordan and Kylie.

A documentary film called Glory Game was made about his life and his journey with MND. It was shown in 2015.

On February 4, 2017, Joost was admitted to the hospital. He passed away at his home in Johannesburg on February 6, 2017, at the age of 45. A public memorial service was held for him at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.

See also

• List of South Africa national rugby union players – Springbok no. 593

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