Former Free State hooker Wessel Lightfoot has died at the age of 62 after a cancer battle.
An uncapped Springbok, Lightfoot was widely regarded as a player of Test calibre during the 1980s.
He played in an era dominated by Uli Schmidt, which limited his opportunities at international level.
Lightfoot toured domestically with the Springboks in 1985 after the planned All Blacks tour was cancelled, and also represented the Junior Springboks (then a Springbok B team), the SA Gazelles and SA Barbarians during his distinguished career.
So Wessel Lightfoot, Calla Scholtz and I played for the Boks but were not capped! Louis Luyt, Wessel Oosthuizen & others raised it at certain points but it never happened. Ancient history!
— John Robbie (@John_C_Robbie) January 28, 2026
At provincial level, Lightfoot was a stalwart for the Free State Cheetahs, making more than 140 appearances in the famous orange jersey. He also represented Griquas, earning a formidable reputation as a tough and fearsome competitor at a time when domestic rugby was incredibly strong.
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