Williams is best known as the star winger of the South Africa national Springbok team that won the 1995 Rugby World Cup against New Zealand and was nicknamed "The Black Pearl".

He was later called back into the squad and played in the quarter-final, scoring four tries,[2] followed by the semi-final and the final against New Zealand, which South Africa won 15–12.

[4] The selection of non-white players was not common in South Africa before 1992 because of the country's policy of apartheid, and there were separate governing bodies for whites, blacks, and coloureds.

Williams was on the Springboks team that won the 1995 Rugby World Cup, notably scoring four tries against Western Samoa in the quarter-finals.

"[9] Clint Eastwood directed Invictus, which is about the 1995 Rugby World Cup and how it helped South Africa heal after years of apartheid.

It features many scenes involving Chester, portrayed by McNeil Hendricks, including his face on the side of an SAA aeroplane.

Carlin also wrote that during the team's visit to a township, Mark Andrews had attracted more attention than Williams as he was able to speak Xhosa.

Williams and de Wee worked with the actors, including Matt Damon, in recreating the games depicted in the film.

He remained coach until July 2005 when he was fired after a series of poor results, when the Cats finished next-to-last in the 2005 super 12, achieving only one victory.