Super Rugby Legends - Scrumming down with Bakkies Botha

It is not very often that a legendary rugby player retires from the game and instead of a highlights package, there are a whole lot of video fight compilations.

But that was Bakkies Botha, nicknamed ‘The Enforcer’ by both his closest teammates and his greatest adversaries for his often over-robust, physical play.

He was a gentle giant by nature, but on the field, he put everything into his game and never did anything in half measures.

Through his career Botha and Victor Matfield formed one of the most formidable lock partnerships ever for both franchise and country and he was one of the hardest men in the game.

And it’s a tag the burly, towering former Bulls and Springbok lock is quite comfortable to be lumped with. But the accolades he accumulated over a 14-year career far outweighed his well-publicized catalogue of disciplinary indiscretions and suspensions.

He won three Currie Cup winners medals (2002, ’04 and ’09) with the Blue Bulls, three Super Rugby titles in the golden era of Bulls rugby (2007, 2009 and 2010). His European adventure also earned him Heineken Cup/European Champions Cup winners medals between 2013 and 2015 with Toulon.

That made him the only player in rugby union history to have won a hat trick of Super Rugby and European rugby titles.

Add to that a World Cup medal in 2007 and he is still arguably one of the most decorated players in world rugby.

He also received multiple nominations as the SA Player of the Year and was voted by the French publication Midi Olympique in 2013 as the best no 4 lock to ever play the game. At the time he was only one of two players in the best XV still playing union, the other being Richie McCaw.

“Some people misunderstood the role of an enforcer,” says Bakkies. “I just played the game on the edge and sometimes just stepped over that edge and got into a bit of trouble.”

In fact, his Springbok debut on 9 September 2002 against France in Marseille isn’t one he remembers too fondly. Not only were the Boks well-beaten 30-10 by the Tricolours, but Bakkies was yellow-carded for stamping.

“Sure, it wasn’t a good start, but it’s not about how you start, it’s about how you end,” quips Bakkies. That again epitomises just how Botha played his rugby and lives his life.

“There were so many times I fell, but it was always about the way I stood up, came back and worked even harder.”

He earned the reputation as a referee’s bunny for much of his career, but remained unfazed being targeted, often unfairly -- because of his reputation.

The list of convictions included eye-gouging, alleged biting, striking an opponent, dangerous clearing and head-butting.

But just being a constant threat to opponents and getting under their skins, to Bakkies, meant he was ‘doing his job’ and that is what fueled his passion and enjoyment of the game.

Bakkies lists the lowest point in his career as June 2009 when he was banned for what appeared to be a dangerous charge on British and Irish lions prop Adam Jones in a ruck.

Despite all efforts to get the ban overturned and a black armband protest by his Bok teammates, he missed the third and final Test at Loftus.

Highlights are too numerous to mention but he looks back very fondly on his time spent in France.

Bakkies shares with us his expectations from the Boks this year, the sad plight of the Bulls, how he sees SA breaking the New Zealand stranglehold on Super Rugby,  how to stop the runaway train of players leaving our shores and his most formidable opponents.

Other Features in this Series (Watch ans Listen):

Super Rugby Legends - Scrumming down with Fourie du Preez

Super Rugby Legends - Scrumming down with Victor Matfield

Super Rugby Legends - Scrumming down with Akona Ndungane

Super Rugby Legends - Scrumming down with Gary Botha

Follow Trevor Cramer on twitter @CramerTF