Naas Botha, a Springbok rugby legend, has made a significant move to America, leaving behind his legacy in South Africa. Botha will forever be remembered as one of the greatest Springbok flyhalves of all time, with 28 appearances and 312 points scored during his career.
His impressive playing career included donning the Northern Transvaal (Blue Bulls) jersey in 179 matches, 128 of those as captain, amassing 2 511 points in the process. After retiring, he dabbled in coaching, which included managing the 2002 Junior Springboks, leading them to victory in the World Rugby U20 Championship.
Naas Botha’s New Chapter
A couple of years ago, Hoërskool Eldoraigne announced the appointment of Botha as their Director of Rugby, which was at a time when he had become a familiar face on SuperSport as an analyst. However, he has now made the move abroad to be closer to his daughters, Gaeby and Lee-gre, who are talented soccer players on athletic scholarships in the US.
The move is primarily a family-driven decision, with Botha and his wife, Karen, settling in Kansas. Even in Kansas, he hasn’t left sports behind, having lent his expertise to local sports programmes, particularly in kicking and high-performance mindsets.
What He’s Doing Now
Botha still occasionally contributes to South African rugby discussions and podcasts via video link, and some say he has become a bit of an unofficial ambassador for the South African expat community in the US. He often appears in interviews to discuss the challenges and joys of immigrating and maintaining South African culture abroad.
For those interested in learning more about Naas Botha’s career and achievements, you can visit the Springboks website or check out his interviews on SuperSport.
Here are some of Naas Botha’s notable achievements:
- 28 appearances as a flyhalf for the Springboks
- 312 points scored during his career
- 179 matches for Northern Transvaal (Blue Bulls)
- 128 matches as captain
- 2 511 points amassed during his provincial career
It’s a full-circle moment for him – after his brief 1983 stint with the Dallas Cowboys – Botha is settling into a new chapter of life.
