South African Rugby World Cup winner JOOST VAN DER WESTHUIZEN died, aged 45, according to Will Macpherson of the London GUARDIAN. The former scrum-half "had been living with motor neurone disease" since '11 and "was admitted to a Johannesburg hospital on Saturday morning." The J9 Foundation, the charity founded by Van der Westhuizen in '12, confirmed that he had died at home, saying in a statement, "He passed away in his home surrounded by his loved ones. He will be sorely missed." South Africa Rugby paid tribute to the player it described as "one of South Africa's greatest-ever Springbok legends." Van der Westhuizen is regarded as "one of the finest scrum-halves in the history of the game," having won 89 caps between '93 and '03. SA Rugby President MARK ALEXANDER said, "Joost will be remembered as one of the greatest Springboks -- not only of his generation, but of all time" (GUARDIAN, 2/6). REUTERS' Nick Said reported Van der Westhuizen "was given two-and-a-half years to live when he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a form of motor neurone disease," in '11. He "put his energy into the J9 Foundation, which seeks to help" other sufferers "cope with the disease." FRANCOIS PIENAAR, the Springbok captain during the 1995 World Cup, said, "Joost was extraordinary on the field and fought until the end. We will miss him deeply." Former Bok coach HEYNEKE MEYER, who taught Van der Westhuizen as a schoolboy and later coached him in provincial rugby, spoke of his "bravery and fighting spirit." Meyer said, "At the 1999 World Cup he played with a knee ligament damage. As a player and person he was a warrior and a fighter" (REUTERS, 2/6). The BBC reported Van der Westhuizen will be "best remembered for his major role in the Springboks lifting the World Cup on home soil, beating New Zealand in the final." Wales interim coach ROB HOWLEY said that he was "devastated" by his fellow former scrum-half's death. Howley: "He was a fantastic rugby player and for me was the best nine I played against." England coach EDDIE JONES, who coached against Van der Westhuizen during his time in Super Rugby, also paid his tribute. Jones said, "He was an absolutely outstanding player, a very good long-passer with a great kicking game, a terrific defender and a guy who really influenced the players" (BBC, 2/6).
