Physical, abrasive, aggressive and never scared to put his body on the line for the Bulls, Toulon and Springboks, Bakkies Botha earned him a reputation as one of the hardest rugby players in the modern era.
Infamous in some parts of the world and beloved in others, the second-rower polarised fans and pundits alike through his approach to the game and was one of rugby’s most unique characters.
Botha was an expert in the dark arts of the rucks and mauls and thrived doing the nitty gritty and donkey work for his side.
He also never backed down from a melee, big or small, nor did he turn down the opportunity to exchange a few choice words or handbag.
Perhaps the man himself describes his approach to the game: “I like the physical and brutal side of this game. I love it. The more stitches and broken bones, the more I liked it.”
The hard-hitting Springbok behemoth enjoyed a trophy-laden career filled with yellow and red cards, suspensions and plenty of run-ins with opposition players over his 15-year-long professional career.
Player background
Born John Philip Botha in KwaZulu-Natal, he attended HTS Middelburg and Vereeniging THS.
He turned out for the South African Schools teams in 1998, and after school, he made his first steps towards becoming a professional rugby player when he played for Valke in Eastern Gauteng.
His performances earned him selection for the Springboks U23 team in 2001, and a Bulls contract a year later.
That move would be his first step towards what would be a remarkable career in the top flight.
Club career
Throughout his career, Botha would play for just two clubs, garnering a cult-like following at both the Bulls and Toulon during his stints in Pretoria and France’s southern Mediterranean.
He won 12 titles during his club career, the first of which came in his first year with the Bulls. He was part of the Blue Bulls team that won the now-defunct Vodacom Cup and backed that up with his first Currie Cup title in 2002.
It was also at the Bulls where he started his iconic lock partnership – or ‘combo’ as they referred to it – with Victor Matfield. The pair built a strong bond, with Botha quoted saying, “Sometimes I feel we know each other better than we know our wives.”
He would play over 150 games for the Bulls across the Currie Cup and Super Rugby. He started two of three Super Rugby finals that the Bulls won and claimed four Currie Cup titles with the side – one shared with the Cheetahs.
After the 2011 Rugby World Cup, Botha left his beloved Bulls team to join French Top 14 club Toulon.
The hard-nosed forward was an instant hit in France and quickly became a crowd favourite with the Toulon faithful.
NEW VIDEO: I’ve clipped up the best bits of shithousery from the enforcer Bakkies Botha – a master of the art!
Full Video: https://t.co/NZOx5D5o6l pic.twitter.com/wmdJpgAjq2
— Andrew Forde (@andrewfrugby) July 4, 2022
He was a crucial player in the Toulon squad that won three Champions Cups and a Top 14 title, becoming the first player to win Super Rugby and the Champions Cup three times.
Botha called time on his playing career at the end of the 2014/15 season after his impressive stint at the club. His former head coach at the club, Bernard Laporte, called him the greatest player he had ever had the privilege to work with throughout his career.
Commenting on his time at Toulon, Botha said: “I came here to play in a team where all the players were my enemies! They all played against me before, and then you arrive in Toulon, and you all have to play together. That’s what was special for me because the last three years of my career ended on a good note.”
International career
Just one year into his career with the Bulls and a year after representing South Africa’s U23 team, Botha earned his maiden call-up to the Springboks squad by then-head coach Rudolf Straeuli.
He earned his Test debut against France in Marseille in November 2002, starting the match against Les Bleus at the age of 23. Half an hour into his debut, Botha was yellow-carded for kneeing prop Jean-Jacques Crenca.
That was the first of four yellow cards he received in Green and Gold, while he was never sent off for the Springboks in his 85 Tests.
He also won trophies with the Springboks, playing his part in the golden era that lifted the 2007 Rugby World Cup before winning the Tri -Nations and British and Irish Lions Series in 2009.
One of Botha’s most controversial actions occurred in the second Test of the 2009 Lions Series when he dislocated Adam Jones’ shoulder in a ruck. The prop required surgery, and Botha copped a two-week suspension – which he appealed but was dismissed.
He was also suspended for headbutting All Blacks scrum-half Jimmy Cowan in 2010; this time, he was banned for nine weeks.
During his time with the Springboks, he and Matfield started a record 63 Test matches in the second-row for South Africa – a record which only recently was broken by the All Blacks second-rowers Brodie Retallick and Sam Whitelock.
He represented South Africa at the 2003, 2007 and 2011 Rugby World Cups but retired in 2014 ahead of the tournament in England.
By the end of his playing career, he was one of the most recognisable players in the game and is still regarded as one of the game’s greatest players.
He was nominated for the SA Rugby Player of the Year on three occasions, and in 2013, he was named in Midi Olympique’s greatest team of all time.
Personal life
In 2005, he married his wife Carien, with the couple having multiple kids together. In 2011 he started his business’ Bakkies The Butcher’ while still in France, which continues to grow in popularity in South Africa.
Net worth
Like many rugby players, Botha’s net worth is not widely known, but he is believed to be worth between $1 and 5 million.
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