In Summary
- He died in a car accident at the age of 58.
- He was part of the Springbok team that famously won the 1995 Rugby World Cup
- Strydom gained 21 Springbok caps in his career between 1993 and 1997.
- He is the fifth player from the 1995 Springbok team to have died.
South Africa’s former rugby star Hannes Strydom has died in a car accident at the age of 58.
The accident took place on Sunday near the coal mining town of eMalahleni in Mpumalanga province.
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SA Rugby President Pays Tribute
Strydom gained 21 Springbok caps in his career between 1993 and 1997
South African Rugby Union President Mark Alexander hailed Strydom as “one of the heroes of our local game” in the Springbooks tribute to him
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Former Rugby Clubs Pay Tribute
The Springboks paid tribute to Strydom on social media as president Mark Alexander hailed him for being ‘a hero’ of South African rugby.
‘Hannes was one of the great locks of his generation and as a member of the Springbok squad from 1995, one of the heroes of our local game,’ he said.
His former club Lions also paid tribute to him – with CEO and former team-mate Rudolf Straeuli recalling their ‘tight bond’.
‘We share a tight bond as members of the 1995 group and to lose yet another one of our brothers is a big blow.
‘Our sincere condolences go out to his family, friends and the rugby fraternity at large.’
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The Players Attack
Strydom was put into intensive care in 2014 after being attacked by six people in an attempted carjacking.
He fought off the assailants but was left with cuts to his head and a fractured skull and jaw after they threw bricks through his window.
He is the fifth player from the 1995 Springbok team to have died.
The others include Ruben Kruger in 2010, Joost van der Westhuizen in 2017, and Chester Williams and James Small in 2019. Coach Kitch Christie also died in 1998.
