Joost one of few non-All Blacks I adored - Dan Carter

Cape Town - All Blacks superstar Dan Carter has expressed his adoration for former Springbok great Joost van der Westhuizen.

Carter took to Twitter to spread the "sad news" to his 580 000 followers, adding that Van der Westhuizen was "one of the few non-All Blacks he adored".

Carter played 112 Tests for New Zealand, scoring a world record 1 598 points in the process and was on the winning team on nine Rugby Championship, four Super Rugby and two Rugby World Cup occasions.

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.

He was one of the few non All Black players I adored. Such sad news! #RIPJoost pic.twitter.com/blr14PBBC0

— Dan Carter (@DanCarter) February 6, 2017