Hansen Strydom, a former Springboks rugby world cup winner, passed away in an automobile accident on Sunday, according to sources.
Strydom was 58.
On Monday morning, Strydom’s 1995 teammate Kobus Wiese verified the horrific event with News24.
“Yes, the death of Strydom is true… Although the details are still quite sketchy, I am aware that it occurred in Mpumalanga. He was in a car with someone else when it struck a cab. That’s what we now know, according to a News24 quote from Wiese.
The 1.99-meter-tall lock was instrumental in the Springboks’ 1995 home-field Rugby World Cup victory.
Fifth player from 1995 to pass on
Strydom is the fifth player from the 1995 team to have died, after Ruben Kruger, Joost van Der Westhuizen, James Small and Chester Williams all passed on.
The powerfully built Strydom played 21 times for the Springboks between 1993 and 1997, as he was a vital member in the engine room of the first successful Springbok team post Apartheid.
On July 3, 1993, at Ellis Park, Strydom made his debut for the Springboks at the age of 27 against France. Later that year, after he cemented his spot in the squad, he would play for the Springboks during their tours of Australia and Argentina. He played in the British Lions series before calling it quits on his Springbok career in 1997.
He was a member of the Transvaal/Golden Lions provincial team from 1993 to 2000, winning 115 caps during that productive time for the Johannesburg team.
Less than a month has passed since the Siya Kolisi-led Springboks successfully defended their Rugby World Cup title, increasing their record to four international championships, when word of Strydom’s passing broke.
