Joost Van Der Westhuizen, Springbok rugby scrum-half and captain, is born

Former rugby player Joost van Der Westhuizen was born 20 February 1971. Van Der Westhuizen was at the height of his career during the mid 1990’s and early 2000’s.  He played in the 1995, 1999 and 2003 rugby world cups. He retired from professional rugby after the 2003 world cup. At 89 caps, he held the record for the most capped springbok of all time at the time of his retirement, and had scored 38 tries. Van der Westhuizen’s personal life got thrown into the limelight when a video tape showing Joost and a woman who claimed to be his on and off mistress in a compromising position was leaked to the public. Initially Van Der Westhuizen denied being the man on the tape, but later admitted the truth in his auto biography Man in the mirror. His confession devastated his wife, singer, Amor Vittone, who had stood by him for months. The couple, who have two children eventually divorced. Soon after the divorce Van der Westhuizen was diagnosed with the motor neuron Lou Gehrig’s disease. He is currently responding well to treatment.