Naas Botha facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Naas Botha

Botha playing a game of rugby
Birth name	Hendrik Egnatius Botha
Date of birth	(1958-02-27) 27 February 1958 (age 67)
Place of birth	Breyten, Transvaal, South Africa
School	Hoërskool Hendrik Verwoerd
University	University of Pretoria
Rugby union career
Position(s) Fly-half Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 1987–93 Rugby Rovigo 119 (1731) Correct as of 11 August 2014 Correct as of 11 August 2014 National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 1980–92 South Africa 28 (312) 1986, 1992 World XV () Correct as of 11 August 2014

Hendrik Egnatius 'Naas' Botha (born 27 February 1958) is a famous South African former rugby union player. He played as a fly-half, which is a key position in rugby, for teams like Northern Transvaal, Rugby Rovigo in Italy, and the South African national team (the Springboks).

Naas Botha was chosen as the SA Rugby Player of the Year four times: in 1979, 1981, 1985, and 1987. After retiring from playing, he became a rugby commentator for South African TV channels M-Net and Supersport. He also works as the Director of Rugby at Hoërskool Eldoraigne, a school in South Africa.

Early Life and Rugby Start

Naas Botha was born in a town called Breyten in South Africa. He went to school at Hoërskool Hendrik Verwoerd in Pretoria. When he was a child, Naas dreamed of becoming a professional baseball player. He even applied for a sports scholarship in the United States.

Besides rugby, Naas was also very good at other sports. He played cricket and tennis in school and was a talented hurdles athlete. However, his path led him to rugby. While studying at the University of Pretoria, he was picked to play for the South African under-20 rugby team. This is where he really started to get noticed by rugby scouts.

At just 22 years old, Naas played his first major international game for the Springboks. This happened on 26 April 1980, against South America at Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. He played in his usual position as a fly-half.

Naas Botha's Rugby Style

Naas Botha was famous for his incredibly accurate kicking. He could kick with both his left and right foot. This skill earned him the nickname "Nasty Booter" from the British press when the British Lions rugby team visited South Africa in 1980.

He is best remembered for his amazing ability to score points with drop-kicks, especially in tough game situations. People also say he had a brilliant understanding of rugby strategy. While some people thought he avoided physical contact and didn't run with the ball enough, he was very good at handling the ball. He could quickly pass the ball to his teammates, setting up many scoring chances. He scored many tries himself and helped his team score even more.

A famous rugby coach, Danie Craven, once said, "Give me Naas, and I'll conquer the world!" This shows how highly he was thought of. For many years, Naas Botha held the record for the most points scored in Springbok rugby history, with a total of 312 points. Another player, Percy Montgomery, passed his record on 17 July 2004. However, Montgomery reached this total in his 50th game, while Naas had only played in 28 games.

Besides playing for the Springboks, Naas also played for his home province, Northern Transvaal. This team was nicknamed the "Blou Bulle" (meaning "Blue Bulls"), which is now their official name. He played for them from 1977 to 1995. During this time, his team won the Currie Cup nine times. He was also captain of the team a record 128 times and scored a record 2,511 points for them.

Rugby During Tough Times: The Ban

In 1980, Naas Botha traveled with the Springboks to South America. The Springboks then beat France and Ireland in 1980 and 1981. After that, they went on a tour of New Zealand. This tour was very controversial. Many people around the world were against South Africa's apartheid policies, which separated people based on race. Protesters tried to stop the games with things like pitch invasions and planes flying over the stadiums. This made it very hard for Naas and his teammates to focus on playing rugby. South Africa lost the series 2-1, but the tour had a much bigger impact than just the game results.

Because of the strong opposition to apartheid, the International Rugby Board banned South Africa from playing in international rugby competitions until 1992. This meant that Naas Botha played very few international games during this time. The only exception was when the New Zealand Cavaliers toured South Africa in 1986, and he played two games against a World XV team in 1989. Even though he couldn't play many international matches, he continued to play very well in South Africa. In 15 seasons with Northern Transvaal, he played in 11 Currie Cup finals, winning nine of them.

Playing Abroad: Italy and USA

In the past, rugby players were not officially paid, but many received money "under the table." Naas Botha felt he could earn more in professional sports. In 1983, the American football team the Dallas Cowboys invited him to the United States to try out as a placekicker. While he was there, Naas also played rugby for the Dallas Harlequins, helping them win the 1984 USA National Club Championships. However, his try-out with the Dallas Cowboys was not successful, so he returned to South Africa to continue his rugby career.

In 1987, Naas moved to Italy to play for the club Rugby Rovigo. He was coached by a former Springboks coach, Nelie Smith, and played alongside other South African players. Over six seasons, Naas played 119 games for Rovigo. He helped the team win two national championships in 1988 and 1990, ending a nine-year period without a title. He also helped them reach the final twice and the semi-final once. Naas Botha is still very famous in Rovigo, which is a city that loves rugby. People there remember him like a hero.

Back with the Springboks

Naas Botha's career lasted long enough for South Africa to be allowed back into international rugby. He played in special games against Australia (who were World Cup champions at the time) and New Zealand. Both of these games ended in defeat for South Africa.

After that, Naas toured France with the Springboks. He played his last international game at the age of 34, as fly-half against England at Twickenham Stadium in London, on 14 November 1992. South Africa lost that game 33–16.

Naas Botha set many records during his rugby career and is still considered one of the greatest Springbok players of all time.

Life Off the Field

Naas Botha is married to Karen, who was also a famous South African athlete and a record-holder in the long jump. They have three daughters named Kyla (born 1991), Gaeby (born 1998), and Lee-gre (born 2003).

Images for kids

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  Flag of the South American Jaguars

See also

Learn more about Naas Botha in Spanish!

In Spanish: Naas Botha para niños

• List of South Africa national rugby union players – Springbok no. 502