Joost van der Westhuizen

Joost van der Westhuizen (20 February 1971 – 6 February 2017) was a South African former rugby union player. He played as a scrum-half for the national team. He played in the 1995 and 1999 Rugby World Cups. 

On 12 May 2011, van der Westhuizen's publicist announced that he had a muscle-related neural disease. It was believed to be a form of motor neurone disease. Doctors at the Cleveland Clinic in the United States have since confirmed that he had motor neurone disease. They believed he had only a 20% chance of living for two to five years.Doctor confirms Joost's fears, 27 July 2011

On 6 February 2017, van der Westhuizen died at a hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa from complications of motor neurone disease, aged 45.

References

Other websites

 J9 Foundation 

Category:1971 births
Category:2017 deaths
Category:Deaths from motor neurone disease
Category:Disease-related deaths in South Africa
Category:Sportspeople from Pretoria
Category:South African rugby union players