Who was Dawie de Villiers and what was his cause of death? Tributes pour in for “Former Springboks captain” who passed away at the age of 81: Another incident involving a well-known celebrity is now generating headlines in the newspapers. Dr. Dawie de Villers, the former Springbok captain, has died, according to the latest reports. He was 81 years old at the time of his death. He died on Saturday night after a long battle with a serious condition. Mark Alexander, president of the South African Rugby Union, honored former Springbok captain Dr. Dawie de Villiers for his contributions to South African rugby and later in life as a politician.
Cause of Death for Dawie de Villiers
According to sources, Dr. Villiers died on Saturday night after a long battle with cancer. Since the news of his death broke, social media has been swamped with condolence messages, and many important figures have paid tribute to this beautiful soul. “As the winds of change began to blow through the political milieu of sport, Dawie de Villiers captained the Springboks, and his final tour was the 1969-70 ‘demo tour’ of the United Kingdom,” Alexander said.
Who was Dawie de Villiers,
“By that time, he had established himself as one of the greatest ever Springbok captains, and the fact that he was carried off the field in his final match on the shoulders of United Kingdom Barbarians greats Mike Gibson of Ireland and Gareth Edwards of Wales has shown the respect and standing in which he was held.” As our country advanced toward democracy, that respect grew as he became a part of the winds of change in political life. He was, without a question, a tremendous servant of the country.”
How did Dawie de Villiers die?
De Villiers was born in Burgersdrop on July 10th, 1940. He went on to study theology at Stellenbosch University after graduating from Bellville High School. Later, he served as a minister in both the old National Party rule and the first democratically elected government, which was led by the late President Nelson Mandela. De Villiers also served as a South African ambassador in London, as well as a philosophy professor (where he earned his doctorate) and a Dutch Reformed Church minister.
De Villiers, as a “political scrumhalf,” as well-known philosopher Willie Esterhuyse put it, was also extremely involved in the talks that led to the ANC’s unbanning, Mandela’s subsequent release, and the country’s first democratic elections in 1994. In 1996, De Villiers stepped down from politics. Between 1962 and 1970, he appeared in about 25 Tests and a total of 53 matches for the Springboks.