Rugby: Death of Springbok Hannes Strydom, 1995 world champion

Hannes Strydom, a regular in South Africa’s 1995 World Cup-winning home XV, died in a road accident on Sunday at the age of 58, South African Rugby Federation President Mark Alexander announced on Monday.

The car of the man who had become a pharmacist after his playing career, which was entirely spent in South Africa, mainly for the Transvaal Province, collided with a mini-bus near the mining town of eMalalheni, around 140 km north-west of Johannesburg.

«Hannes was one of the great second-liners of his generation and, as a member of the 1995 Springboks team, one of our heroes», said Alexander.

«He was a hard-working forward who never hesitated to go the extra mile», the executive added of Strydom, who won 21 caps for the Springboks between 1993 and 1997, his greatest achievement being the 1995 world title.

He is the fifth member of the starting line-up for the World Cup final – won on 24 June 1995 against New Zealand before the eyes of President Nelson Mandela – to die, following in the footsteps of Ruben Kruger, Joost van der Westhuizen, Chester Williams and James Small.