Chester
Williams

Chester Williams was a World Cup-winning South African who was a giant of the game. Learn more about his life and career with RugbyPass, your resident rugby gurus.

Chester Williams Bio

Chester Williams was one of the finest players to ever represent South Africa. Throughout his career, he won the Rugby World Cup as a player and coached his country’s Sevens team. Sadly, he died of a suspected heart attack in 2019. Chester Williams was inducted into the RugbyPass Hall of Fame in 2021.

Although he enjoyed a glittering domestic career with Western Province, the Golden Lions (who he won a Currie Cup with) and the Cats, Chester Williams is best known as the winger that powered the Springboks to a Rugby World Cup victory on home soil in 1995. In the tournament, Chester Williams was the only black member of the side. He scored four tries in the quarter final of the tournament and turned in strong performances during the semi final and the final.

Although Chester Williams only made 27 appearances for South Africa throughout his career, he scored 70 points and also added the Tri-Nations title (now The Rugby Championship) to his glittering trophy cabinet.

When he retired from rugby, Chester Williams took up a career in coaching. He initially enjoyed a successful stint as the coach of South Africa’s Sevens side, before he switched to the 15-man game. Following this, he held roles with the Cats, Uganda, Mpumalanga Pumas, Tunisia and RCM Timişoara. On several occasions, his name was linked with the vacant South Africa job. However, he was never selected for the role.

Sadly, Chester Williams died of a suspected heart attack on 6 September 2019. Thankfully, his legacy will live on forever.