Ex-South Africa rugby star dies in car crash

South Africa’s former rugby star Hannes Strydom has died in a car accident at the age of 58.
Following the end of apartheid in 1994, he was a member of the Springbok side that is renowned for winning the Rugby World Cup in 1995.
During his career, which spanned from 1993 to 1997, Strydom earned 21 Springbok caps.
Although the specifics of the tragedy are still unknown, Kobus Wiese, a close friend and former teammate, told local media that Strydom’s vehicle crashed with a minibus taxi.
The incident happened on Sunday in the Mpumalanga province, close to the coal mining town of eMalahleni.
In the Springboks’ homage to have, South African Rugby Union President Mark Alexander praised Strydom as “one of the heroes of our local game”.
His former club, the Lions, also paid tribute to him, describing him as a legend who had formed a formidable lock combination with Wiese.
Lions Rugby Company CEO Rudolf Straeuli commented, “We share a tight bond as members of the 1995 group and to lose yet another one of our brothers is a big blow.”
In the biggest sporting event in South Africa since the end of apartheid, the 1995 World Cup final in Johannesburg saw Strydom make his debut for the Springboks in 1993 and help overcome bitter rivals New Zealand 15–12.
He participated in the British and Irish Lions series before calling it quits on his Springbok career in 1997.
Strydom led the Lions squad that won the regional Currie Cup in 1999 as well.
From 1993 until 2000, he made 115 appearances for the team.
After putting up his rugby boots, Strydom founded the pharmacy chain Pharma Valu while working as a pharmacist in the capital city of Pretoria.
In 2014, he was hospitalized in critical condition following a carjacking incident in which six individuals attacked him, breaking his skull and stabbing him.
He is the team’s fifth deceased member from the 1995 Springbok squad.
The others are James Small and Chester Williams in 2019, Joost van der Westhuizen in 2017, and Ruben Kruger in 2010. In 1998, Coach Kitch Christie also passed away.