South Africa Rugby World Cup winner Hannes Strydom dies in tragic car crash
Former Rugby World Cup winner Hannes Strydom has died in a car accident in South Africa at the age of 58.
Strydom played a key role as the Springboks won the tournament in 1995, the first of four times they have lifted the trophy. He earned 21 caps for South Africa in total before retiring from rugby in 2000.
The former lock tragically died in a car accident in the eastern state of Mpumalanga on Sunday, little over a month after South Africa won their fourth World Cup. The accident happened near the coal mining town of eMalahleni, with tributes flooding in.
Strydom's death was confirmed by his former team-mate and close friend Kobus Wiese. While details of the accident are still vague, Wiese said that the vehicle Strydom was travelling in collided with a minibus taxi.
"Yes, it is so [Strydom's passing]. At this stage the information is very vague, but I know it happened somewhere in Mpumalanga. He and another person was in a vehicle that collided with a taxi. That's what we know at this stage,” Wiese was quoted as saying by News24.
South Africa ace Cheslin Kolbe issues verdict on Springboks joining Six Nations
South African Rugby Union President Mark Alexander paid tribute to Strydom after the news of his death was confirmed. Alexander hailed the World Cup winner and insisted he was an all-time great.
Hannes Strydom (with the ball) played a key role as South Africa beat New Zealand in the 1995 Rugby World Cup final (Chris Smith/Popperfoto via Getty Images/Getty Images)“Hannes was one of the great locks of his generation and as a member of the Springbok squad from 1995, one of the heroes of our local game. He also played more than 100 games for the Lions at a time when they dominated the game in South Africa," he said.
"[He] won the Super 10 before it became Super Rugby, which underlined the quality of that team. Hannes, along with other players from that Lions team, such as Francois Pienaar, Balie Swart, Kobus Wiese, and Hennie le Roux, formed the core of the famous Bok squad that lifted the Webb Ellis Cup in South Africa in 1995.
“He was a hard-working lock who never shied away from getting stuck in and doing the dirty work. To lose yet another member of the iconic Bok squad from 1995 is a heavy blow to the rugby fraternity here in South Africa and our thoughts and condolences are with his wife, Nikolie, their children, Annalie, Hannes and Lucy, family and friends in this very difficult time.”
Strydom is the fifth member of the historic World Cup winning team to have died. Ruben Kruger passed away in 2010, Joost van der Westhuizen died in 2017, while Chester Williams and James Small both died in 2019. Coach Kitch Christie also passed away in 1998.
He also captained the Lions as they won the Currie Cup in 1999, before becoming a pharmacist after his retirement. Lions chief executive Rudolf Straeuli expressed his condolences on behalf of the franchise to the Strydom family.
“We are deeply saddened by the news of the passing of Hannes,” said Straeuli. “We share a tight bond as members of the 1995 group and to lose yet another one of our brothers is a big blow. Our sincere condolences go out to his family, friends and the rugby fraternity at large."
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
