For many Irish rugby fans who started watching the game in the mid-90s, Joost van der Westhuizen was an icon. He was one of South Africa's star players as they won the 1995 World Cup on their own soil. The scrum-half passed away earlier this week, aged 45, following a long battle with motor neurone disease.
CJ Stander was five-years-old when his native country played New Zealand in that World Cup final.
Speaking to Michael Corcoran for RTÉ Radio, Stander said that one of his first memories is Van der Westhuizen tackling another star of that World Cup - Jonah Lomu.
I think my first memory was him taking down Jonah Lomu in that game.
It was an unbelievable tackle, it just shows what you can do with your body.
He’s been my hero from childhood. When you grow up and you see guys like that play [like that].
He just decided he doesn’t have respect for his body, he’s just going to take this guy down and [his death] is a tough one to take.
[He was] fearless, he brought a lot to the game, physicality and a lot of skill, a mixture of both.
Stander's association with Van der Westhuizen is not just in memory. The Munster and Ireland backrow had a 'good connection' with his childhood hero since 2010. Van der Westhuizen handed Stander his Bulls jersey on his first senior start for his old team. It was a year later that the 89-cap Springbok was diagnosed with MND.
Last summer, when Ireland travelled to South Africa for their summer tour, Stander again encountered Van der Westhuizen.
We met him in June when we were there for the summer tour.
I didn’t know if he was going to recognise me. He recognised me and it was tough to see him, the way he looked, the way he went backwards but he was still strong and making jokes with us, it was good to see that.
He was happy with himself and happy with life and again it just showed his character.
He knew what was going to happen with him and where he was but he just ploughed on and did his work for other people.
Picture credit: Sportsfile
