Birthdate: February 20, 1971
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Pretoria, South Africa
Died: February 6, 2017
Joost van der Westhuizen, a highly accomplished South African professional rugby union player, was known for his exceptional skills as a scrum-half. He represented his national team in 89 test matches, scoring 38 tries and captaining the side on several occasions. Van der Westhuizen played a key role in South Africa’s victory in the 1995 Rugby World Cup and was part of the team that secured the country’s first Tri-Nations title in 1998. He achieved success at the domestic level, playing for the Blue Bulls and later the Bulls, winning Currie Cup trophies and participating in Super 12 rugby. He was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame and the World Rugby Hall of Fame for his outstanding contributions to the sport. Van der Westhuizen’s career was later overshadowed by his battle with motor neurone disease, through which he continued to raise awareness through his charity, the J9 Foundation.
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