Cornal Hendricks: South African rugby union player dies aged 37 after massive heart attack
The South African rugby union player, Cornal Hendricks, has passed away aged 37.
The 37-year-old reportedly suffered a massive heart attack on Wednesday. Hendricks made his Test debut in 2014 and went on to earn 12 caps for the Springboks, scoring five tries.
Domestically, he represented Boland, the Cheetahs and Bulls. In 2016, Hendricks signed a two-year deal with Western Province and the Stormers, before being diagnosed with a serious heart condition that prevented him from playing for them.
A deal with French Top 14 side Toulon also fell through due to his diagnosis and he retired from rugby aged 27. He said at the time: “I was in a dark place after the doctors told me my career was over. I endured physical pain, but sometimes the emotional pain was so bad I would just curl up in bed and refuse to have contact with the outside world, or even speak to my family”.
In 2019, Hendricks’ improved health saw him make a comeback with the Bulls where he earned 115 caps and scored 34 tries across all competitions during a five-year stay. He had been diagnosed with heart ailment in 2016. He is survived by his wife, Stephany, and two children.