HARD work and a way of willpower had been the watchwords for Walvis Bay-born former Kudus and Namibian nationwide rugby crew star Chrysander Botha.
Botha says whereas he wasn’t all the time probably the most proficient participant, he was positively probably the most hard-working.
The previous Narraville Major Faculty pupil was additionally an avid athlete, and even performed soccer at junior nationwide crew stage, forming a part of the under-17 crew that toured Westphalia in Germany, and representing Namibia at under-20 stage below captain Data Iipinge.
“I used to be a really helpful left-winger, and I performed for Namibia at junior stage. I additionally performed for the under-20 crew that went to interact Burundi to a one-all draw away in Bujumbura,” Botha says.
“I performed alongside former Courageous Warriors’ Lazarus Kaimbi, Gottlieb Nakuta and Iipinge. My presence in soccer was not solely restricted to the junior nationwide groups, I additionally performed just a few video games for Eleven Arrows within the Namibia Premier League.”
Botha studied at Stellenbosch College, the place he performed rugby for the under-17 and under-19 groups, also called the Maties.
He moved to the College of Johannesburg in 2011, the place he starred for the college crew earlier than being snatched up by the Golden Lions, and performed within the prestigious Absa Currie Cup Premier Division between 2013 and 2014.
“I need to say it was a privilege to play skilled rugby within the extremely aggressive Currie Cup. It’s each younger rugby participant’s dream to play within the Currie Cup.
‘Simply think about taking part in in opposition to the Bulls, Stormers and Sharks week in and week out,” he says.
“I should have been doing one thing proper, as a result of prime English facet Exeter Chiefs got here knocking and signed me up in 2016 till 2018.
“They had been three nice years in England taking part in paid rugby for Exeter at Sweet Park. I lived my dad’s dream of taking part in professional rugby.”
The retired fullback additionally obtained just a few private accolades, like successful the Sportsman of the Yr award at Walvis Bay Non-public Excessive Faculty throughout his matric yr in 2006, and the Junior Sportsman of the Yr award in the course of the Erongo Regional Sport Awards in the identical yr.
He describes taking part in for the Maties as a private achievement, in addition to his nomination for the Junior Sportsman of the Yr award within the annual Namibian Sport Awards.
Botha says he was by no means as excited as when he was chosen to the senior nationwide rugby crew after first representing the under-20 facet.
‘MASSIVE HONOUR’
“I used to be overly thrilled, and it was an enormous honour to signify my nation on the highest stage,” he says.
“My best second as a rugby participant was after I first represented Namibia on the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, and the cherry on the highest got here after I used to be known as up for the World Cup crew in 2015 in England, the place I performed for Exeter on the time.”
He says he was proud after he performed two World Cup group matches at Sweet Park, Exeter’s homeground, the place he performed for his membership each weekend.
The previous fullback star, who additionally performed on the wing for Kudus, mentions the Welwitschia’s Vodacom Cup encounter in opposition to the Vodacom Bulls on the Hage Geingob Stadium in Windhoek in 2010 as his most memorable sport ever.
Botha says there have been nearly two minutes left on the clock, when his teammate Godwin Walters took a fast throw-in to him, which resulted in him operating virtually the size of the sector to attain a attempt proper below the Bulls’ submit.
His greatest regrets stem from the time after he resumed his taking part in profession after he broke his higher leg and dislocated his ankle throughout an end-of-the-year tour to Canada with the nationwide crew in 2014.
He says he was by no means the identical participant once more.
He performed his final top-flight match for Exeter and hung up his rugby boots for good after taking part in solely three video games for Western Suburbs in Windhoek.
WORK, FAMILY
Botha married his longtime sweetheart Beauretta Britz in 2016.
The couple has three kids.
Botha is at present employed at King Value Insurance coverage.
“I’m the investigations supervisor of claims. It may be fairly a problem working with folks from completely different backgrounds and cultures,” he says.
Botha is at present teaching the senior nationwide facet.
“It was fairly an thrilling expertise to be teaching the junior nationwide crew at a youth match of significance on overseas soil.
“The boys made an actual account of themselves, and we had been unlucky to go down 15-17 to the host nation within the finals,” Botha says.
“I’m at present teaching the assaults and backline of the senior check crew. I’m simply too blissful that after my taking part in days, I’m nonetheless concerned with the Namibia rugby crew. A variety of ex-players can solely dream about this.”
Botha nonetheless cherishes the moments in the course of the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, the place younger and outdated play rugby within the streets, not like in Namibia the place the streets are for soccer.
He says his father, who as soon as did not choose him for the Erongo under-13 regional crew as a result of he wished him to work more durable, is the one who had the largest affect on his rugby profession, as a result of he was additionally his greatest critic.
The rugby legend urges younger, aspirant rugby gamers by no means to surrender on their goals.
“Setbacks are momentary, and in case you actually need to change into an expert participant, you’ll obtain it in case you work laborious,” he says.
Supply: namibian