Bakkies Botha

Bakkies Botha

Bakkies Botha, dressed in the Springbok change kit after a pre-match warm up.
Full name	John Philip Botha
Nickname	Bakkies
Date of birth	(1979-09-22) 22 September 1979 (age 37)
Place of birth	Newcastle, South Africa
Height	2.02 m (6 ft 7 1⁄2 in)
Weight	124 kg (273 lb; 19 st 7 lb)
School	Middelburg THS and Vereeniging THS, South Africa
Occupation(s)	Professional rugby union footballer
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position	Lock
Professional / senior clubs Years Club / team Caps (points) 2011–2015 Toulon 73 (20) Correct as of 30 January 2015
Provincial/State sides Years Club / team Caps (points) 1999–2000 2001–2011 Falcons Blue Bulls 22 53 (12) (50) Correct as of 24 March 2015
Super Rugby Years Club / team Caps (points) 2002–2011 Bulls 100 (55) Correct as of 25 November 2013
National team(s) Years Club / team Caps (points) 2002–2014 2010 2008 2014 2001–2003 2001 1998 South Africa (test) South Africa (tour) Barbarians Springbok XV South Africa 'A' South Africa Under-23 South African Schools 85 1 1 1 6 3 (35) (5) (0) (5) (5) (5) Correct as of 17 November 2014

John Philip "Bakkies" Botha, (born 22 September 1979 in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal Province) is a South African rugby union player who played as a lock for the Springboks until 22 November 2014. He was a member of the national team that won the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France in addition to winning two Tri Nations titles in the 2004 Tri Nations Series and the 2009 Tri Nations Series. Botha plays for RC Toulonnais in the Top 14 after signing from Blue Bulls provincial team in the Currie Cup competition and the Bulls Super Rugby team. Botha was also a member of the Toulon squad which won the 2013, 2014 and 2015 Heineken Cup/European Rugby Champions Cup Finals.

Botha played for the under-19 and under-23 Springbok sides before being chosen for the South African "A" team that toured Europe at the end of 2001. The following year he was selected for the Springbok team and made his debut against France in Marseille on 9 September 2002, a game the Springboks went on to lose 30–10.

Through the years Botha and Blue Bulls teammate Victor Matfield formed a formidable partnership at lock for both their province and country. Botha is known as one of the "hardest" locks in world rugby, and is nicknamed "The Enforcer" for his physical play.