This week: one of the greatest scrum-halves of all time, a voice of Radio 4 and a restaurateur to the famous

THE South African rugby player Joost van der Westhuizen, right, who has died of motor neurone aged 45, was widely considered one of the best scrum-halves of all time.

He was born in Pretoria in February 1971 and spent his entire senior career at the Blue Bulls between 1993 and 2003, but it is playing in the green and gold of the Springboks for which he will be best remembered.

Possessing an unusually large frame for a scrum-half - standing at 6ft 1in tall and weighing nearly 14 stone - Van der Westhuizen thrived during games of high intensity which required powerful running and aggressive defending.

His stature enabled him to challenge many forwards at breakdowns, especially when rucks were taking place, and suited South Africa's abrasive brand of rugby.

Van der Westhuizen made his international debut in 1993, a year after the Springboks were re-admitted to the international arena after the end of apartheid rule.

South Africa hosted the 1995 World Cup and the most enduring memory he provided was stopping Jonah Lomu, the fearsome 6ft 5in and 18 stone-plus New Zealand winger, in a hard-fought 15-12 World Cup final victory over the All Blacks.

Van der Westhuizen became a rugby commentator after his playing career and was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame in 2007.

He was hit by health scares and family strife in 2008, first suffering a suspected heart attack then becoming embroiled in a sex tape and cocaine scandal.

The former Blue Bulls star lost his job as a television pundit with South African broadcaster Supersport, and then his marriage to Amor Vittone broke down.

He was later confined to a wheelchair after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2011. He set up the J9 Foundation to raise awareness of MND and offer help to those families affected by it.

The actor and businessman Frank Pellegrino, who has died of cancer aged 72, was famous not only for appearing in The Sopranos, the cult television drama about a family of Italian/American mobsters, he also ran an Italian restaurant favoured by prominent Americans such as Woody Allen and Donald Trump.

As an actor, he was best known for the role in The Sopranos, FBI chief Frank Cubitoso, although he also appeared in Law & Order and New York Undercover, and in films including Cop Land and Goodfellas.

His restaurant was Rao's, which became legendary as one of Manhattan's most exclusive dining spots. The Italian restaurant, which boasts only 10 tables, has served such luminaries as Hillary Clinton and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Howard Philpott, who has died aged 63, was a Radio 4 newsreader and announcer. London-born Philpott joined the BBC as a studio manager after originally training as a quantity surveyor.

He later worked as an announcer and newsreader for the BBC World Service.

Philpott, who lived on the south coast "surrounded by books, records, and assorted bits of audio and computer paraphernalia" according to a BBC profile, once said that his job was the fulfilment of a childhood ambition.

"I used to listen to Douglas Smith playing the announcer on Round The Horne and dream of following in his footsteps," he said.

And finally Richard Hatch, who has died aged 71, was best known for his role on the television science-fiction series Battlestar Galactica.

Hatch played Captain Apollo in the original Battlestar Galactica television series, which ran from 1978 to 1979, and was nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance on the show.

He also appeared in the rebooted version of the show from 2004 to 2009, portraying a different character, Tom Zarek.

Hatch's other acting work included an early role on the soap opera All My Children in 1971 and appearances on Dynasty, The Love Boat, Santa Barbara and Baywatch.