Joost van der Westhuizen’s documentary the Glory Game: The Joost van der Westhuizen Story premiered at Montecasino in Fourways, on 12 August. “In the beginning you go through all the emotions and you ask, ‘Why me?’ It’s quite simple, ‘Why not me?’ “, the former Springbok captain asked. “If I have to go through this to help future generations, why not me?”
The premier was followed by an auction to raise funds and create awareness for the Joost van der Westhuizen Centre for Neurodegeneration. The documentary portrays van der Westhuizen as he battles the effects of motor neuron disease (MND), a debilitating disease that leads to the deaths of scores of healthy adults every year, many of them athletes.
Van der Westhuizen was diagnosed with the disease in 2011, and since then he has been raising awareness about it. The film was directed and produced by journalist and film-maker, Odette Schwegler, and co-produced by Michael Yelseth and John Webb.
Carol Harris, the marketing and operations manager of Crystal Brook, the organisers of the premiere, said launching the documentary was important as it created awareness of the illness, and expressed the reason for the film.
She added that they had auctioned three rugby balls signed by Van der Westhuizen, the 95 Team and George Gregan and Justin Marshall.
Other items auctioned included a weekend getaway, a pamper package and two cases of wine. Harris added that she did not yet know what the final amount raised amounts to.
Harris added that this was the official premiere for the cinema and that the film would be shown on 21 August. She added that the film had been shown at various film festivals already.
