Former Springbok and Rugby World Cup winner Chester Williams has died at the age of 49.
According to reports, Williams died after suffering a suspected heart attack.
Williams played 27 games for the Springboks and scored 14 tries. He was one of the heroes of the 1995 winning Rugby World Cup team, the first time that the Springboks participated in the tournament.
Williams said his presence in the World Cup-winning side and President Nelson Mandela's visible support for the Springboks had helped bring South Africans together.
“After we won the World Cup, it was amazing to see people after the game crying and hugging each other in disbelief . It was the first time that I saw a united nation in South Africa,” he said.
Williams is the coach of the University of the Western Cape (UWC) rugby team, taking the side into Varsity Cup competition for the first time this year.
Williams is survived by his wife, Maria, and three children.