Born in Johannesburg in 1996, Botha took up rugby from an early age and his education led him to the prestigious Grey College in Bloemfontein – known as the “Springbok factory” - where a deep love of the game manifested itself in the young tighthead prop who showed a great deal of promise.
He represented Free State all through the age-group levels and enrolled in university to study a law degree.
He turned out for FNB UFS Shimlas in South Africa’s Varsity Cup, however, after a difficult 2018 season, decided to call time on his rugby career.
Botha has always harboured a passion for food, so much so that he embarked on a career as a chef, working at a lodge near the popular Gariep Dam.
However, the brutal effects of Covid-19 on South Africa’s hospitality industry forced Botha to consider his options and the notion that he had thrown rugby on the backburner too soon hatched in his mind. Botha’s physical conditioning had fallen by the wayside though.
“Who’s going to take on a guy weighing 135kg and is super unfit?” he said. “I had nothing going for me in the rugby sense. No coach would take a second look at me. And I let myself go during lockdown because it’s difficult to train when you don’t have a reason to.”
Fate intervened and Botha received a call from the tertiary institution, FNB CUT, and agreed to take up rugby again, this time in their colours.
With his obvious talents on display once more, Botha was snapped up by Griquas.
Career
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Griquas Tighthead Prop |
2021 - present |
