Former Springbok rugby player and Western Cape legend, Chester Williams will receive a special provincial official funeral.

The national flag will be flown at half-mast in his honour from sunrise to sunset on Saturday, the day of his funeral service.

Premier Alan Winde said: “Chester first captured the hearts of South Africans when he played a leading role in the Springbok rugby team which won the 1995 Rugby World Cup. He was also highly respected and loved by fans during his time as a member of the Western Province team. But even after he hung up his own boots, he was instrumental in shaping the lives of many young players through the Chester Williams Rugby Foundation. For the past four years, he coached the University of the Western Cape team, leading them to victory in the Rugby Varsity Shield. But perhaps the biggest legacy he will leave is in his role as a worthy and committed husband and dad. He was a man that the boys of our province could look up to.”

“Chester’s contribution to sport and transformation in this country and in this province has been immense and for this reason, we made a request to the Presidency for a special provincial official funeral in order to pay tribute to him and the remarkable life he led.”

This request was agreed to by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Details of the funeral:

The funeral will take place at Newlands Rugby Stadium on Saturday 14 September.

Members of the public are encouraged to attend this celebration of his life.

The funeral will be held at Newlands Stadium. Gates open at 10am and the service wills start at noon.