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Cape Town - Samoa have posted a video of the team singing the hymn Fa'afetai i le atua (Thank you, God, our Creator) to terminally ill Springbok legend Joost van der Westhuizen on their Facebook page.
VIDEO: Samoa sing hymn to Joost van der Westhuizen
The video shows the players dressed in blue training gear standing and singing to Van der Westhuizen who sits in a wheelchair dressed in a Springboks hoodie.
Van der Westhuizen was diagnosed with motor neuron disease in 2011 and given between two and five years to live.
The hymn is well-known in the Samoan community. The chorus says: "Sing hallelujah, thank you, hallelujah".
The second verse includes the sentence, "Thank you to your son Jesus, who came down from above. The one who is our refuge."
In the Facebook post, Samoa wrote: "Totally humbling experience to meet Springboks legend Joost van der Westhuizen in Brighton.
"This man does not let Motor Neuron Disease define him or stop him living life to the fullest. This hymn seemed right for the occasion."
Van der Westhuizen, 44, played 89 times for South Africa between 1993-2003. He was part of the Springboks' 1995 Rugby World Cup winning team, and also represented the Boks at the 1999 and 2003 World Cups.
The Springboks and Samoa will clash at Villa Park on Saturday at 17:45 (SA time) in the World Cup in England and Wales.
