Joost van der Westhuizen: A Tribute to an Iconic Career

[@WorldRugby]

What is your favourite Joost van der Westhuizen memory? Let us know in the comments.

[@worldallycat]

His try in the 3rd test v the lions.

[@carolmorris404]

Yes, may Joost and Jonah RIP.

[@Davidkxf]

His tackle on Jonah Lomu in 95 RWC final

[@davidrees2164]

Phenomenal scrum half.

[@martinvanrensburg4441]

Joost in n springbok trui

[@nodeartr8134]

Joost halting Jonah is one of my favourite rugby moments. Two of the greatest legends from either team in the best David v Goliath moment

[@skee6793]

Absolute Legend, much love & respect from Fiji 🇫🇯❤

[@smallsymcsmalls8331]

A brilliant, brilliant player. I’m so glad I got to watch him play live so many times.

[@duncanwcraig9668]

Joost had an amazing impact on World rugby. Best 9 I’ve ever seen. Thanks 🙏 from a NZ bloke. Man he was good !

[@eugenemakwena6792]

Had a big Joost poster in my room as a 9 year old boy. Never supported the Bulls but Joost was and still is one of my greatest rugby heroes! Long live J9🇿🇦💚

[@TheMarathonomahos]

Living in NZ I obviously want to say an All Black halfback was the best, but no one matched Joost. He was the complete halfback. What couldn't he do? The guy was a freak. Maybe one of the most complete rugby players I've seen in my 83 years.

[@tobylots]

Him and Jonah

[@TheMarathonomahos]

@@tobylots Jonah was a great player, but he wasn't the complete package in his position. South Africa were very clever on that they identified his weaknesses, which is probably why he never managed to score against them.

[@richardgrant418]

@@TheMarathonomahosWhat did Jonah lack?? He has the equal highest number of tries in World Cups - but achieved that in less games than any of the other players. What more would you want from a winger? ??

[@KwizatsHaderach8]

@richardgrant418 Yeah agree - comment above yours a bit silly. Jonah was as much a freak in his position as Joost was. Arguably the best wing (one of) of all time (hate absolutes). A wing's main job is to finish a movement and actually score the try - Jonah did that with a strike rate that that was unrivalled. I think their friendship was partly born out of this and their sharing or debilitating diseases. Obviously the legacy and ongoing rivalry of Boks vs Blacks underpinned this too.

[@bushbabybotha9943]

@@richardgrant418he lacked handling skills, kicking skills, catching skills, the only skills he had were steroids which destroyed his kidneys.

[@NC78545]

Bill McLaren commentating when Joost was playing against Scotland was the best ever! He admired this unorthodox nr.9 almost wishing his team could have a player like this...I'm pretty sure Bill is a speaker up in heaven. The only other 'big 9' I can think of is Mike Philips from Wales... Please add other names to the hat if you can think of similar 9's. Rip Joost and Bill.

[@TipOfAfrica0010]

Yes I do recall Bill McLaren waxing lyrical about Joost...

[@canadiancontent352]

Connor Murrays relatively tall for a 9, he used to score a lot too! 4 against the ABs

[@tobyhart8515]

Robert du Preez

[@MrFijibati]

What a LEGEND👍 One of the best if not the best #9 to ever play in the game - modern day #9 lack the Will, Heart and Courage of Joost🇿🇦 Definitely in my World Rugby Hall of Fame🥇

[@WorldRugby]

Agreed! Champion in every sense of the word 🏆

[@davidrees2164]

Defo the best number 9 of all time.

[@oliverhunter9495]

It’s tough isn’t it because the other 9 is Gareth Edwards who essentially changed it everything in rugby. But i agree it’s impossible to separate them, for me he was the best player of his era , such a sad death but what an incredible life.

[@Deontjie]

Joost was the Springbok's second choice after Johan Roux. Joost only played because Roux got a knock and decided not to continue play. According to me Roux was not even South Africa's third best number nine at that time. How they preferred Roux over Joost is still a mystery. Same reason why the world's best number eight was not selected?

[@jpowell2603]

Much respect to this champion! RIP Joost from New Zealand 💯👏👏

[@GFUNK27]

this man took on Jonah lomu in 95 world cup and did not stop he the reason I played rugby and why I were number 9 on my back in my playing days this man is the G9OAT

[@davidrees2164]

I am so glad to have witnessed this amazing player, the best scrum half I have ever seen.

[@chadalexander8722]

Hi Gary here - thank u for your service - RIP , Mr Joost V/D Westhuizen(Legend)!

[@denloye6282]

The most valuable knock on in World Cup History. RIP to a Legendary Springbok

[@philmcnamara299]

Wat a brilliant player he was gutsy nimble of foot great to read the game remember him with a smile I surly will gave his all in every game tuff as nails he was

[@hippz11]

As a hardcore all blacks fan he was one of my favourite rugby players growing up absolute legend 💪

[@agnostic47]

Just a great player. Taken cruelly soon.

[@reinhardthuman3565]

What a great player and person i took a photo of him and my two sons at a springbok training and framed it what a legend thank you Joost RIP

[@MrKelso85]

One thing I know, is that him and Jonah are in heaven, and he’s still the only Man who could reliably tackle Lomu at full speed 🙏

[@laidsgpr63]

Joost, you had a lot of admirers ! You deserved the Springboks jersey my man !! Well done ! R.I.P.❤

[@derekglasspool946]

What a 9 loved watching him just fabulous.

[@reinhardtherrmann5485]

One of the best, if not the best no.9 in the world

[@moniqueranouna5926]

RIP LEGEND - FOREVER

[@jamesrichards4294]

From an Englishman who’s watched a lot of sport, Joost was a heck of a player.

[@paulgrantchinn5926]

What a player, what man

[@louisjwiese5515]

That is just his world cup performances... And he didn't recover in time for the final. He played with broken ribs.

[@Wall1s_]

I thought ‘recover’ wasn’t right. I bruised my rib once, six weeks it took me to recover. And I think André Joubert played with a broken hand?

[@louisjwiese5515]

@@Wall1s_ Yes, Joubert had a special glove imported for the final, in order to be able to handle the ball during the final. That team had a bit of talent here and there (Joubert and Joost being two of them), but it was more their sheer bloody mindedness that won them that final. What we call "harde-gat" or "hardkoppigheid" I suppose (basically the same as hardheadedness/stubbornness). The All Blacks at the time, were obviously more talented. Just goes to show what difference a team's mentality can make in the World Cup.

[@wezvandez]

Joost played with a broken rib and Joubert with a broken hand, and we still hear from sour folk about some fictional hotel employee called Suzie.

[@carolmorris404]

@@louisjwiese5515 are you family of our great Kobus Weise. Yes, I know it is a common surname in SA but I really would be interested to know 🇿🇦

[@carolmorris404]

@@wezvandez ag dit was sommer kak. As hulle haar Sarie genoem het so ek gedink dit kon miskien waar wees.

[@steventheron1165]

Joost was my inspiration when I was a kid. The diving passes, sniping through gaps and his tackling were things I tried to emulate.

[@wezvandez]

Baie dankie, Joost.

[@rampageclover9788]

RIP Joost, Ruben and Jonah

[@LPJack02]

RIP Joost van der Westhuizen (February 20, 1971 - February 6, 2017), aged 45 You will be remembered as a legend

[@ompabaletserametse8643]

Thank you for making this vid, I here from his movie.

[@umaimabaig1511]

Phenomenal player

[@aluncurtis6124]

He found gaps where there weren't any. Legend.

[@TheodoreCaesarMoseby]

Greatest surname ever

[@Deontjie]

?

[@thesupplementadvisor]

RIP LEGEND - GOAT

[@Joffa85]

Who cares about who’s the best have some respect ✊ rip legend

[@Adinrostwitchclipss]

Best player ever

[@WorldRugby]

One of the ALL TIME greats!

[@tjops1000]

RIP Joost jyt swaar gekry. Anita Jackson, Bloemfontein

[@tobylots]

Imagine Joost and Jonah playing in the same team

[@hillscanlon2717]

He is the GOAT 😊

[@andretorres75]

Legend! 🇿🇦9

[@bushbabybotha9943]

He lives next to my grandfather in JHB, nice guy.

[@MightyJuwan]

No he doesn't bro he lived somewhere in Pretoria and he is my uncle and I can prove it

[@bumbelb263]

Legend

[@eliasbairamis6069]

RIP, Joost.

[@haniffirdaus2136]

GOAT

[@henryshen5445]

You don't usually see a scrumhalf crashing over a few big forwards, except Joost.

[@tupapa9637]

Alguien me puede decir que le pasó que quedó cuadriplejo

[@Merula-er1xr]

Tenía una enfermedad horrible, creo que el nombre correcto es esclerosis lateral amiotrófica (ELA) . Es progresiva y no tiene cura. Muy cruel.

[@janinegriffin950]

I love when the Boks beat New Zealand 😊😊

[@markymark8]

They don't make scrummies like this anymore. The position has changed. RIP Joost.

[@RPedro87]

For those saying Gareth Edwards is better... Gareth Edwards scored 20 tries in 53 appearances for Wales. Joost scored 38 tries in 89 appearances... Joost has more tries, a longer career and crucially a World Cup medal... Case closed.

[@oliverhunter9495]

It’s not always about stats, they played less internationals in those days and the World Cup didn’t exist. Gareth was probably the most influential player from 1969 until ???? But obviously things do change. Edwards changed how rugby was played and it’s churlish to deny just how good he was just because it was another era. But I do think it’s an really close call because Joost was such a special player and a many great players who played against say he was the best they saw.

[@MightyJuwan]

Some of you guys might not believe me but joost van der westhuizen is my uncle

[@elijahleesoobramoney6215]

David vs Goliath 1995 RWC final...

[@Davidkxf]

He should have played on the flank.

[@themasterofunlocking5668]

Only just behind Gareth Edwards as the greatest scrum half of all time. What a player.

[@connievanzyl9200]

You dream pal. Joost was the complete scrumhalf. He could do anything that Edwards could do better, and his attacking ability and defence for a scrumhalf was second to none. Literally made match winning tackles on his own multiple times and scored a record for a scrumhalf number of tries: 38.

[@themasterofunlocking5668]

I don’t deny any of that. He was a phenomenon. But Edwards is considered by many to be the greatest if not one of the greatest players players ever. He absolutely terrified the all blacks and springboks with the Lions in the early 70s and was part of a breathtaking Wales team that won multiple grand slams and six nations.

[@mikeyraad568]

That depends on where you come from.. Joost was my favourite player ever never mind a no.9

[@themasterofunlocking5668]

@@mikeyraad568 Definitely . Now I’m not Welsh so I don’t have bias but it’s just my opinion.

[@grantwilkinson24]

I rate both Edwards and Joost. I would say Joost was better because he played in the modern era, but saying that Edwards I am sure would have also excelled if he played in the modern era.

[@thelammas8283]

Ask Alex van Tonder 😂😂

[@DeborahLopez-o9j]

Lesch Mount

[@pjn2001]

Rus sag broer.

[@adrianboshoff1582]

The bad sportsmanship by the all blacks has made us dislike them eversince the great win by 2 disallowed tries by the great passionate bokke in the 1995 world cup.

[@mariusmarais9750]

Too think all these so called worlds best 10 ougby players lists, .....hahahahaaa J9 was there master!

[@antoneverbright]

imagine thinking this guy is better than Dupont, dude looks so fragile Dupont would dismantle him physically speaking and fend him to oblivion