Another Bok has Joost's disease

Former Springbok centre Tinus Linee has been diagnosed with the disease suffered by former Springbok captain Joost van der Westhuizen, it was reported on Tuesday.

"He is very positive and can still wear his clothes, drive and eat. At this stage only his speech has been affected and he walks slowly," Linee's wife Diana told Beeld.

She reportedly said he was diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease in mid-April, but that he was in good shape. "He keeps us all positive."

Johannesburg-based specialist neurologist Jody Pearl told the newspaper there were different theories about sport and the disease, but no-one had yet been able to find a direct link between them.

Linee made his Springbok debut in 1993 and went to Romania as the assistant coach of the Timisoara Rugby Club in 2012.

According to the newspaper, his health started deteriorating on his return in February.

SAPA