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Bakkies: The hard man of rugby

John Philip "Bakkies" Botha, born September 22 1979 in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal has had a glittering international career that drew to a close on the November 22 2014.

He will continue to play for his French Club Toulon and has even hinted at retiring in South Africa with the Currie Cup.

 

In his professional career Botha has won everything there is to win.

 

With the Blue Bulls he won the Vodacom Cup in 2001 and then went on to add three Currie Cup titles to his name in 2002, 2004 and 2009.

 

With the Bulls in Super Rugby, Botha was part of the first South African team to lift the trophy in 2007 (in the professional era – with Transvaal winning the Super 10 in 1993), and then again in 2009 and 2010.

 

For the Springboks he has won the World Cup in 2007, the Tri-nations in 2004 and 2009 as well as a British and Irish Lions Series Trophy in 2009.

 

Botha has also picked up the Mandela Challenge plate in 2005 and 2009 against the Wallabies and the Freedom cup against the All Blacks in 2004 and 2009.

 

For Toulon, Botha won the European cup back-to-back in 2013 and 2014 as well as scooping the Top 14 League in 2014.

 

A true giant of the game in every sense, it is easy to smile when watching this clip 

 

 

 

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