Former South African World Cup winning winger James Small has sadly passed away at the age of 50 following a suspected heart attack.
The 1995 World Cup winner was rushed to hospital on Tuesday night having suffered a suspected heart attack and has since passed on.
South African Rugby president Mark Alexander paid his respect to the former Springbok and talked about the impact he had.
“As a member of the triumphant World Cup squad from 1995, James will always have a special place in the hearts and minds of the South African public and we were devastated to hear of his passing. He always played with the type of passion and courage that encapsulate what Springbok rugby stands for, and he lived his life in the same way. At 50 years old, James Small died too young. Our thoughts and condolences are with his family and friends during this very sad time,” he said.
Small scored 20 tries in 47 appearances for the Springboks between 1992 and 1997 and was a vital member of the World Cup winning squad.
He is also the fourth member of that South African winning squad to have passed away since their success. Coach Kitch Christie passed on in 1998 following a battle against leukaemia, flanker Ruben Kruger died of brain cancer in 2010 and scrum-half Joost van der Westhuizen passed away from motor neuron disease in 2017.
Small also won the Currie Cup with the Sharks and Western Province, while also representing the Golden Lions in his provincial career.
He recently started a coaching career as Robert du Preez at NWU-Pukke and the Leopards before joining the Pirates as an assistant once more.
