Former Springbok rugby captain Joost van der Westhuizen has been in the news because of his recent diagnosis of motor neuron disease, and a fundraising dinner was held in his honour on Tuesday night.

TimesLive reports that over 1,000 people attended the benefit, including some of Joost’s past team-mates, past opponents, friends and even fans.

The South African Rugby Legends Association hosted the benefit to raise funds to help Joost overcome the debilitating disease.

Entertainment was provided by Watershed and Johnny Clegg, while video tributes from celebrities like Victor Matfield, Os du Randt, Bobby Skinstad and former Bafana Bafana player Mark Williams displayed the kind of emotion that hopes to support Joost during this time.

Written tributes from World Cup-winning Springbok captain Francois Pienaar and SA ambassador to Argentina Tony Leon were read aloud by Gavin Varejes, the hosting association’s president.

Memorabilia from Joost’s career and the rugby industry in general were auctioned off, including framed Joost and Jonah Lomu jerseys, a photo of the 2011 Currie Cup-winning Golden Lions team signed by captain Josh Strauss, and even the jersey that Joost wore in his debut match for Northern Transvaal.

Joost’s debut Springbok jersey fetched R60,000, while a jersey signed by Percy Montgomery, Victor Matfield and John Smit – the three Springboks who’ve earned over 100 caps – fetched R17,000.

After dinner, Joost climbed onto the stage to thank all the guests who attended the dinner in his support, and added that he was kept strong by his two children, who he had with singer Amor Vittone.

He added: “I live for them every single day.”