Former Springbok halfback Joost van der Westhuizen fighting for his life in Jo'burg

Last updated 07:56, February 6 2017


Former Springboks halfback Joost van der Westhuizen's condition is reported be improving as he continues to receive hospital treatment.

The 45-year-old South Africa great, who played in the epic 15-12 victory over the All Blacks in the World Cup final in Johannesburg in 1995, has been living with motor neurone disease since 2011 and was admitted to a Johannesburg hospital on Saturday morning.

Statements from his J9 Foundation on Saturday evening and Sunday morning revealed he was in a "critical but stable" condition in an intensive care unit.

Sunday morning's update, though, added that he was "putting up an incredible fight" - and there was further encouragement later in the day.

A statement released around on the J9 Foundation's Facebook page read: "Joost has been much better today however he is tired and been resting this afternoon.

"Thank you for the continued support for him and his family."

The foundation was set up by Van der Westhuizen to aid people suffering from MND.

Van der Westhuizen is regarded as one of the finest halfbacks in rugby history, having won 89 caps for the Springboks between 1993 and 2003 and scored 38 tries.

In recent years he has been confined to a wheechair and was recently put on an oxygen machine to help him breathe.

His estranged wife, singer Amor Vittone, wrote on her Facebook page on Saturday: "Joost, at this moment is still critical in hospital, but showing us all his fighting spirit!"

She and Van der Westhuizen have two children, son Jordan and daughter Kylie.

"Please keep him in your prayers and thank you for all the beautiful messages of encouragement. Jordan and Kylie have shown tremendous courage through this difficult time," Vittone added.

- Stuff

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/i...oburg-hospital

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/20...gby-great-dies

"Joost van der Westhuizen, the former South Africa rugby World Cup winner has died aged 45. He had been living with motor neurone disease since 2011 and was admitted to a Johannesburg hospital on Saturday morning.

Van der Westhuizen is regarded as one of the finest scrum-halves in rugby history, having won 89 caps for the Springboks between 1993 and 2003 and scored 38 tries, helping the team win the 1995 World Cup on home soil.

He and his estranged wife, singer Amor Vittone, had two children, son Jordan and daughter Kylie."

MND is one of the worst diseases out there. The mind is bright, alert and active whilst muscles in your body slowly stop working. It takes no prisoners and does not discriminate. Joost and his family have been through living hell and I cannot express the words to say how sorry and how much poorer the world is now that Joost has gone. Totsiens Meneer, Ons sal jou later sien.

what a tragic loss to his family and to the world of rugby R I P

Very bad news.

Was one of the very best 9's ever and one of my all time favourite players, thanks for the memories Joost, RIP.

Sad news,what an awful disease

A truly dreadful disease. If you want to support a charity in 2017, anything that helps research into this horrible disease would be money well donated imo.

RIP Joost and everyone else who's been felled by this bastard of a disease.

So sad. Well done to ABC news for putting together a great tribute to him tonight. It showed how heroic he has been in giving a lot of the little time he had left raising awareness.