# Ruan Botha > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ruan_Botha > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ruan_Botha.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruan_Botha > Source revision: 1355886816 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) South African rugby union player Rugby player Ruan Botha Born (1992-01-10) 10 January 1992 (age 34) Brakpan, South Africa Height 2.05 m (6 ft 8+1⁄2 in)[1] Weight 124 kg (19 st 7 lb; 273 lb)[1] School Jeugland Hoërskool Rugby union career Position Lock Current team Kubota Spears Youth career 2010 Falcons 2011–2012 Golden Lions Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 2012 Golden Lions XV 1 (0) 2012 Lions 5 (0) 2013–2015 Western Province 19 (5) 2014–2015 Stormers 21 (5) 2016 Sharks XV 4 (5) 2016–2019 Sharks 42 (20) 2016–2017 Sharks (Currie Cup) 21 (15) 2018–present Kubota Spears 70 (50) 2019–2020 London Irish 9 (10) Correct as of 21 February 2021 International career Years Team Apps (Points) 2012 South Africa U20 5 (0) 2017 South Africa 'A' 2 (0) Correct as of 6 April 2018 **Ruan Botha** (born 10 January 1992) is a South African [rugby union](/source/Rugby_union) player. He plays as a [lock](/source/Rugby_union_positions#5._Lock) for [Kubota Spears](/source/Kubota_Spears) in the Japanese [Top League](/source/Top_League). He made his provincial debut on 31 March 2012 as the Golden Lions thrashed the [Griffons](/source/Griffons_(rugby)) 71–25 in [Johannesburg](/source/Johannesburg). Botha started the match before being replaced in the 62nd minute by [Hendrik Roodt](/source/Hendrik_Roodt).[2] His first call-up to the Lions Super Rugby team came ahead of the side's Australian tour during the [2012 Super Rugby season](/source/2012_Super_Rugby_season). He made the starting fifteen for the first time in the match against the [Chiefs](/source/Chiefs_(rugby_union)) in [Pukekohe](/source/Pukekohe) on 5 May 2012.[3] Botha was named in the [South Africa Under 20 team](/source/South_Africa_national_under-20_rugby_union_team) that won the [2012 IRB Junior World Championship](/source/2012_IRB_Junior_World_Championship).[4] He joined [Western Province](/source/Stormers) for the 2013 season.[5] In May 2019, following three years with [Sharks](/source/Sharks_(rugby_union)) he signed for English [Premiership Rugby](/source/Premiership_Rugby) side [London Irish](/source/London_Irish) on an initial 6 month contract.[6] He was due to return to Irish following the [2019–20 Top League season](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2019%E2%80%9320_Top_League_season&action=edit&redlink=1) in Japan which he would spend with [Kubota Spears](/source/Kubota_Spears). However, in July 2020 London Irish confirmed he would not be returning.[7] ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-SARU_Player_Profile_Ruan_Botha_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-SARU_Player_Profile_Ruan_Botha_1-1) ["SA Rugby Player Profile – Ruan Botha"](http://www.sarugby.co.za/playerprofile.aspx?id=51632&fullview=true). *South African Rugby Union*. Retrieved 2 June 2016. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-MTN_Golden_Lions_71-25_Griffons_2-0)** ["SA Rugby Match Centre – MTN Golden Lions 71–25 Griffons"](http://www.sarugby.co.za/matchbreakdown.aspx?id=103851&homeid=11391&awayid=11401&leagueid=1211&fullview=true&template=true). South African Rugby Union. 31 March 2012. Retrieved 2 December 2016. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Lions make five changes"](https://supersport.com/rugby/super-rugby/news/120502/Lions_make_five_changes). *supersport.com*. Retrieved 29 July 2021. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Goosen,_Kitshoff,_Du_Toit_nucleus_of_powerful_SA_U20_JWC_squad_4-0)** ["Goosen, Kitshoff, Du Toit nucleus of powerful SA U20 JWC squad"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160606095848/http://www.sarugby.co.za/article.aspx?id=1355211&leagueid=1171). South African Rugby Union. 25 April 2012. Archived from [the original](http://www.sarugby.co.za/article.aspx?id=1355211&leagueid=1171) on 6 June 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2016. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Lions_lose_fourth_player_in_a_week_5-0)** ["Lions lose fourth player in a week"](http://www.supersport.com/rugby/sa-rugby/news/120828/Lions_lose_fourth_player_in_a_week). SuperSport. 28 August 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2012. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["London Irish sign Ruan Botha | 20th May 2019 | News"](https://web.archive.org/web/20200224135318/https://www.london-irish.com/news/london-irish-sign-ruan-botha/bp2177/). *London Irish*. 20 May 2019. Archived from the original on 24 February 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2020. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Wallabies centurion Rob Simmons signs for London Irish | 31st July 2020 | News"](https://web.archive.org/web/20200813165506/https://www.london-irish.com/news/wallabies-centurion-rob-simmons-signs-for-london-irish/bp2636/). *London Irish*. 31 July 2020. Archived from the original on 13 August 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2020. ## External links - ["SA Rugby Player Profile – Ruan Botha"](http://www.sarugby.co.za/playerprofile.aspx?id=51632&fullview=true). *South African Rugby Union*. Retrieved 2 June 2016. - [itsrugby.co.uk profile](http://www.itsrugby.co.uk/player_22669.html) - [IRB profile](http://www.irb.com/jwc/teams/team=3442/player=45543/index.html) [Template:Kubota Spears squad](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Template:Kubota_Spears_squad&action=edit&redlink=1) This biographical article relating to South African rugby union, about a person born in the 1990s, is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. - [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:SouthAfrica-rugbyunion-bio-1990s-stub) - [t](/source/Template_talk%3ASouthAfrica-rugbyunion-bio-1990s-stub) - [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:SouthAfrica-rugbyunion-bio-1990s-stub) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ruan Botha](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruan_Botha) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruan_Botha?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.