Mouritz Botha

Mouritz Botha

Mouritz Botha (left) and Tom Palmer of the England Rugby Union team share a smile after beating the Barbarians 57–26 in a friendly match at Twickenham Stadium.
Date of birth	(1982-01-29) 29 January 1982 (age 35)
Place of birth	Vryheid, South Africa
Height	1.98 m (6 ft 6 in)
Weight	114 kg (17 st 13 lb)
Rugby union career
Current status
Current team	Newcastle Falcons
Playing career
Position	Lock
Professional / senior clubs Years Club / team Caps (points) 2006–2009 2009–2014 2015–present Bedford Blues Saracens Newcastle Falcons 73 111 6 (55) (15) (0) Correct as of 14 August 2015
Super Rugby Years Club / team Caps (points) 2015 Sharks 11 (0) Correct as of 14 June 2015
National team(s) Years Club / team Caps (points) 2011–2012 2011–2012 England Saxons England 3 10 (0) (0)

Mouritz Botha (born 29 January 1982) is a rugby union player who plays for the Newcastle Falcons in the Aviva Premiership. He joined English club Bedford Blues in 2006 and made 73 appearances before moving to Saracens in 2009. Botha was named in the 2011 England Saxons squad for the Churchill Cup after qualifying for England on residency grounds.

Botha joined Bedford Blues from Bedford Athletic in 2006 and was a mainstay in the team. Botha was selected for an East Midlands team that played in a match against the Barbarians. His performances got the attention of the incoming Saracens head coach Brendan Venter and he was signed for Saracens in 2009.

Botha was signed for Saracens in the summer of 2009 from the National League 1 team the Bedford Blues. He made his debut on 5 September 2009 in the London Double Header against London Irish. He came on as a substitute in the 60th minute for fellow Saracens lock Hugh Vyvyan. Mouritz was a success in his first season for Saracens and quickly became a fans' favourite. The season ended in an appearance in the Guinness Premiership Final for Saracens. He again came on as a substitute in this game. He made a total of 32 appearances in the 2009–2010 season, scoring one try.

Botha played a vital role in helping Saracens to win the 2010–11 English Premiership. Along the way, he made 27 appearances and was named in the 2011 Sky Sports Dream Team. He was named in the 2011 England Saxons squad for the Churchill Cup and made his debut in the 87–8 victory over the United States. He was subsequently selected in the full England squad and made his debut against Wales.