This archive report was first published on 7 September 2019.
September 7, 2019, will be remembered as a sad day for the rugby world, as news of the passing of South Africa's rugby legend Chester Williams spread like wildfire.
Williams, who was just 49 years old, suffered a heart attack and passed away in Cape Town on Friday afternoon, leaving behind a legacy that will be cherished by rugby fans for generations to come.
As the only black player in the Springboks' Rugby World Cup-winning squad in 1995, Williams was a true pioneer in South African rugby, and his performances at the World Cup will forever be etched in the hearts and minds of the rugby public.
SA Rugby president Mark Alexander described the news of Williams' passing as 'devastating and hard to believe,' adding that he was still young and seemingly in good health.
Williams is the fifth member of that squad to die, following James Small, the coach Kitch Christie, scrum-half Joost van der Westhuizen, and flanker Ruben Kruger.
As a member of the Springbok class of 1995, Chester was not only well-known in the rugby fraternity but also a much-loved South African whose influence stretched wider than just the rugby world.
