Former Springbok legend James Small has tragically passed away at the age of 50. It is reported that he suffered a heart attack on Wednesday which resulted in his death.

Vaughn Small, the former wing’s mother, confirmed the news of her son’s death with Afrikaans publication Netwerk24. He died in hospital in Johannesburg and was planning to make his way home to his 14-year-old daughter Ruby.

Small played 47 Tests for the Springboks between 1992 and 1997 and scored a total of 20 tries over his career. Small was also a part of the Springbok team that won the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which took place on home soil.

Ruben Kruger died of brain cancer in 2010, while Joost van Der Westhuizen died of motor neuron disease in 2017. This makes Small the third member of the Springboks to die in recent years.

 

 

 

Picture: Twitter

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Lucinda is a hard news writer who occasionally dabbles in lifestyle writing, and recent journalism graduate. She is a proud intersectional feminist, and is passionate about actively creating a world which is free of discrimination and inequality.