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Joost van der Westhuizen

  • 12-05-2011 6:03pm
    #1
    thegen
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,081 ✭✭✭


    Former Springbok star Joost van der Westhuizen has been diagnosed with Motor Neuron muscle disease, described as "very serious". Source Twitter


Comments

  • #2
    Sangre
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,211 ✭✭✭✭Sangre


    Hope not Col, that's a maternity ward!


  • #3
    StupidLikeAFox
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,763 ✭✭✭StupidLikeAFox


    lol, i deleted the post because i thought it was in bad taste!

    Still he was a great player in jonah lomu, not a nice disease to have


  • #4
    themandan6611
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,629 ✭✭✭themandan6611


    ColHol wrote: »
    not a nice disease to have

    which ones are nice to have :D

    seriously, poor guy - going through the mill with a heart attack previously and marriage seperation


  • #5
    Fizman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,605 ✭✭✭Fizman


    Holy sh1t, I wasn't even aware of his previous issues, let alone this later horror story. Incredible player in his time and always carried himself well too. He was one of the guys I respected most when looking at foreign internationals when growing up playing the game.


  • #6
    rockman15
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 277 ✭✭rockman15


    the man was a massive inspiration to me as young lad. The first big scrum half the modern game saw. Lightening quick hands, fast feet, he knew where the try line was and could defend like a 6. think he had about 90 caps or so for SA. he played in the first international i ever went to.

    Frankly I hope this isnt true. Im a bit upset about it actually.


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  • #7
    GerM
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,592 ✭✭✭GerM


    I wonder are we seeing the first of the long term affects of being a professional rugby player. VDW played hard on and off the pitch and there was always a risk of long term effects. There have been links between NFL players and motor neuron disease; I hope we don't see rugby players end up with similar cases.


  • #8
    CatFromHue
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 18,278 Mod ✭✭✭✭CatFromHue


    i dont know anything about what joost is rumoured to have. did a quick wiki search and there is said there is no known cause as to why people get it.

    as has been seen by john fogarty and jackman head injurys are not being properly managed in the game at the moment.

    the game has changed hugely in the last 10 years, even the last 5 years. science hasnt been able to catch up yet.

    bizarrely i saw this link the other day

    http://www.findaphd.com/search/ProjectDetails.aspx?PJID=32440&LID=1273

    more research is needed in to how to reduce head injurys but ultimately due to the nature of the game they will occur.


  • #9
    maxfly
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24 ✭maxfly


    themandan6611 wrote: »
    which ones are nice to have :D

    seriously, poor guy - going through the mill with a heart attack previously and marriage seperation
    Very sad for him with illness, but I'm not sure he actually had a heart attack previously and seperation is self inflicted....lets just say he knew now to enjoy himself!


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