Former Springbok wing, James Small, has passed away in Johannesburg at the age of 50 years.

Small apparently had a heart attack.

Small’s mother, Vaughn Small, confirmed the news of her son’s death to an Afrikaans Cape Town publication.

He played 47 tests for the Springboks between 1992 and 1997 and scored 20 tries in total.

He represented the Lions (formerly Transvaal), Sharks and Western Province at provincial level.

Small was part of the Springbok team that won the 1995 Rugby World Cup on home soil. South African fans will remember him for the exceptional tackle he made on All Black winger, Jonah Lomu.

Small is the third member of that Springbok team to have died. The others were Ruben Kruger, who died of brain cancer in 2010, and Joost van der Westhuizen, who lost his battle with motor neuron disease in 2017.