Francois Roux (78), Junior Spingbok rugby player, who played for 5 provinces from 1955 onwards, passed away on Tuesday morning, 1 July 2008, in the Worcester Hospital.

He  worked as a journalist for many newspapers in South Africa, as well as in London and for The Southern Chronicle in Zimbabwe. Roux played for Free State, Transvaal, Northern Transvaal, the former Rhodesia and Grens. He almost got his Springbok colours, were it not for the 3 fantastic tries scored against him by the legendary Irish wing, Tony O’Reilly when the Lions played again Transvaal in 1955.

In his later years he lived on a farm near Lephalale in Limpopo province, but after a heart attack in January he moved to Cape Town, where his only daughter, Mrs Siobhan Rothenburg, cared for him. He was also in a retirement home in Swellendam for a while, until he became ill and had to be moved to the Hospital in Worcester.

Francois also published a novel, called “Malherbe’s Fist”, under the pseudonym of Derek Crous in the 80’s and was working on his 2nd novel when he got ill. He was married to Rene (neÈ Dippenaar), 1955 Free State Beauty Pageant Princess and teacher for many years, but later divorced and she sadly also passed away from cancer in 2003. He is survived by only daughter, Siobhan.