In perhaps the most poignant moment of the Rugby World Cup so far, members of the Samoan squad have sung a beautiful hymn to Springboks great Joost van der Westhuizen, who is critically ill with motor neurone disease (MND).

Samoa, who opened their World Cup campaign with a 25-16 win over the USA Eagles on Sunday night (NZT), met the South African legend in Brighton, England - where their tournament opener was played.

Halfback van der Westhuizen played 86 times for the Springboks and was part of the famous team that won the 1995 World Cup on home soil before going on to play in two further World Cups, in 1999 and 2003. He was also a prolific try scorer for his country, registering 38 in his decorated career.

GETTY IMAGES Joost van der Westhuizen at Ellis Park in 2015.

He was diagnosed with MND in 2011, given between two and five years to live and is today confined to a wheelchair. That hasn't stopped the former test great from getting out and about, however, and his meeting with the Samoans is just one of many engagements he's kept in recent times, including meeting the All Blacks in Johannesburg last year.