All Blacks tweet sympathies to 'Bok great' Joost

Cape Town - The world's No 1 team, the mighty All Blacks, have tweeted their sympathies to the family of Joost van der Westhuizen after the passing of the Springbok legend.

Writing on their official Twitter page to their 700 000 followers, the All Blacks paid respect to a "true Springbok great".

Van der Westhuizen passed away on Monday aged 45, after losing his nearly six-year long battle with motor neuron disease (MND).

Van der Westhuizen, who was diagnosed with the illness 2011, played 89 Tests for the Springboks between 1993 and 2003.

He scored a then-Springbok record 38 tries and is widely regarded as one of the game’s finest-ever scrumhalves.

The #AllBlacks extend their sympathies to the family of Joost van der Westhuizen. A true @Springboks great. You will be missed.#RIPJoost pic.twitter.com/KEEwdZ8NWS

— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) February 6, 2017