Photo: Brent du Preez / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)

Joost van der Westhuizen

ユースト・ファン・デル・ヴェストハイゼン　/　ゆーすと・ふぁん・でる・ゔぇすとはいぜん

Rugby union player from South Africa

February 20, 1971 – February 6, 2017　・　Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa

Gauteng
rugby union player

My Take

Joost van der Westhuizen is, to me, the platonic ideal of a scrum-half: 89 caps, 38 tries, and a body that played far bigger than its position usually demands. Being part of the 1995 World Cup-winning Springboks ties him forever to one of sport's great unifying moments. But what stays with me is the second act. His battle with motor neurone disease, fought openly until his death at 45, turned a rugby legend into something larger, a symbol of dignity under impossible odds. The Hall of Fame honored the player; I respect the man who kept fighting after the whistle.

Overview

Joost van der Westhuizen (20 February 1971 – 6 February 2017) was a South African professional rugby union player who made 89 appearances in test matches for the national team, scoring 38 tries. He mostly played as a scrum-half and participated in three Rugby World Cups, most notably in the 1995 tournament, which was won by South Africa.

Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

1. Profile

Name (English): Joost van der Westhuizen
Name (Japanese): ユースト・ファン・デル・ヴェストハイゼン
Reading: ゆーすと・ふぁん・でる・ゔぇすとはいぜん
Born: February 20, 1971 – February 6, 2017
Zodiac / Chinese zodiac: Pisces / Boar
Origin: Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
Blood type: Private
Height: 185 cm
Agency: Private
Occupation: rugby union player

2. Background

Elementary school: Private
Junior high: Private
High school: Private
University: University of Pretoria

Awards & achievements

2015 World Rugby Hall of Fame

3. Relationships

Spouse: Private
Children: Private
Parents: Private
Siblings: Private

4. Personality

Motto

Private

6. Links

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