JOOST van der Westhuizen, the 74-times capped South Africa scrum half, has vowed to help Newport become one of the elite teams in Europe.

He arrives at Rodney Parade on September 4 fresh from starring for the Springboks in the Tri Nations series.

And it is the prospect of playing against the best players and teams in Europe which will provide him with the excitement and challenge he needs.

He believes the time is right for that change and new challenge after playing for the Blue Bulls (formerly Northern Transvaal) for years, some of them alongside former Newport favourite Franco Smith.

Van der Westhuizen is one of the most competitive players in world rugby and has scored a phenomenal 34 tries for his country.

"I have never shied away from a challenge and never intend to," said van der Westhuizen in an exclusive interview.

"The opportunity to play against the great teams and big names of Europe was a major reason for my choosing to play at Newport.

"I see no reason why Newport shouldn't resume its position among the elite of European rugby.

"After playing for the Bulls for my whole career and for the Springboks for the best part of a decade since my debut in 1992, I really believed I needed a new challenge. "There are only a handful of clubs I would have considered playing for and while Newport may not initially have been an obvious choice to many, the likes of Gary Teichmann and my very good friend Franco Smith have had nothing but good things to say about the club in general and Tony Brown in particular.

"I would not be joining Newport if I did not believe they were capable of achieving success at domestic and European levels.

"I'm very excited about the positive progress achieved by Newport over the past couple of years.

"Since players such as Gary, Andy Marinos, Adrian Garvey and Franco all moved across to Newport, there has been a significant level of interest in the club from all South Africans.

"I believe Newport is a club on the up with a history that, while proud and rich, does not weigh it down."

Van der Westhuizen will continue to play international rugby, becoming the first Southern Hemisphere player to move here and retain that right.

He aims to play in the 2003 World Cup, he's happy with his current form and is looking forward to renewing his rivalry with Wales scrum half Rob Howley.

"I would dearly like to be involved in the 2003 World Cup and I see no reason why, if I continue to play to my potential, this will not be possible," he said.

"I have tremendous respect for Rob. He went through a rough patch about 18 months ago but, as they always say, 'form is temporary, class is permanent.'

"I knew he'd be back to being one of the best in the world sooner or later. "I watched him for the Lions and felt his injury was a major determining factor on the outcome of the series.

"I am reasonably happy with my form to date in the Tri Nations although my primary goal is to ensure the team wins the competition.

"To do this we need to beat New Zealand convincingly this weekend and hope they cause an upset in Australia the following week.

"I will return to South Africa for my brother's wedding and then fly out to Newport at the beginning of September."

First published on Wednesday 22 August 2001: