Bernado Botha

{{short description|South African rugby union player|bot=PearBOT 5}}

{{Infobox rugby biography

| name = Bernado Botha

| image =

| full_name = Bernado Carl Botha

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1988|07|04}}

| birth_place = Oudtshoorn, South Africa

| height = {{height|m=1.80}}

| weight = {{cvt|100|kg|lb stlb}}

| school = Hoërskool Florida, Roodepoort

| university = University of Johannesburg

| relatives =

| position = Winger

| currentclub =

| youthyears1 = 2004

| youthclubs1 = {{Rut|SWD Eagles}}

| youthyears2 = 2006–2009

| youthclubs2 = {{Rut|Golden Lions}}

| years1 = 2009–2010

| clubs1 = {{Rut|Golden Lions XV}}

| apps1 = 8

| points1 = 20

| years2 = 2010

| clubs2 = {{Rut|Lions}}

| apps2 = 2

| points2 = 0

| years3 = 2013

| clubs3 = {{Rut|Griffons}}

| apps3 = 5

| points3 = 0

| years4 = 2014–2017

| clubs4 = {{Rut|Pumas}}

| apps4 = 39

| points4 = 42

| years5 = 2018

| clubs5 = Batumi RC

| apps5 =

| points5 =

| years6 = 2018

| clubs6 = {{Rut|Boland Cavaliers}}

| apps6 = 4

| points6 = 0

| amatyears1 = 2008

| amatteam1 = {{Rut|UJ}}

| amatapps1 = 10

| amatpoints1 = 20

| repyears1 = 2007

| repteam1 = South Africa Under-19

| repcaps1 =

| reppoints1 =

| repyears2 = 2010–2013

| repteam2 = South Africa Sevens

| repcaps2 =

| reppoints2 =

| clubupdate = 27 October 2018

| repupdate = 28 March 2014

| medals =

{{MedalCountry | {{RSA}} }}

}}

Bernado Carl Botha (born 4 July 1988) is a South African professional rugby union player who last played for the {{Rut|Boland Cavaliers}} in the Currie Cup.{{SA Rugby Player Profile | id=35272 | name=Bernado Botha | date=29 May 2016}} He has been playing first class rugby since 2009 and was a regular member of the South Africa Sevens team between 2010 and 2013. His regular position is winger or fullback.

Career

=Youth and Varsity rugby=

Botha represented South Western Districts at the 2004 Under-16 Grant Khomo Week. He then moved to Gauteng and was included in the {{Rut|Golden Lions}} squad for the 2006 Under-18 Craven Week tournament. The following year, he received a call-up to the South African Under-19 squad for the 2007 Under 19 Rugby World Championship in Ireland.

He continued to represent the {{Rut|Golden Lions}} at youth level, playing for their Under-19s in national championships in 2007 and for the Under-21s in 2008 and 2009. He also played for {{Rut|UJ}} in the 2008 and 2010 Varsity Cup competitions, scoring four tries in eight appearances.

=Senior career=

Botha was included in the {{Rut|Golden Lions}} squad for the 2008 Vodacom Cup competition,{{SA Rugby Squad | teamid=6600 | team=Golden Lions | compid=618 | comp=2008 Vodacom Cup | access-date=3 June 2016}} but failed to make an appearance, despite being named as a substitute for their match against the {{Rut|Natal Wildebeest}}.{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=15212 | homeid=6606 | awayid=6600 | leagueid=618 | hometeam=Wildebeest | homescore=17 | awayscore=10 | awayteam=Golden Lions | matchdate=29 March 2008 | date=29 June 2016}}

Once again named in their Vodacom Cup squad in 2009, Botha duly made his first class debut by starting in their match against the {{Rut|Pumas}} in Randfontein.{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=17211 | homeid=7425 | awayid=7428 | leagueid=718 | hometeam=Golden Lions | homescore=34 | awayscore=47 | awayteam=Pumas | matchdate=7 March 2009 | date=29 June 2016}} He made seven starts in total and weighed in with four tries during that tournament.

Following two more appearances in the 2010 Vodacom Cup, Botha was then included in the {{Rut|Lions}} squad for the 2010 Super 14 season. He made two substitute appearances, against the {{Rut|Force}} in Johannesburg{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=18299 | homeid=7833 | awayid=7845 | leagueid=752 | hometeam=Auto & General Lions | homescore=12 | awayscore=33 | awayteam=Western Force | matchdate=1 May 2010 | date=29 June 2016}} and against the {{Rut|Cheetahs}} in Welkom.{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=18313 | homeid=7842 | awayid=7833 | leagueid=752 | hometeam=Vodacom Cheetahs | homescore=59 | awayscore=10 | awayteam=Auto & General Lions | matchdate=15 May 2010 | date=29 June 2016}}

=Sevens rugby=

In 2010, Botha joined the South African Sevens squad{{cite web |url=http://www.blitzbokke.com/2010/07/new-faces-to-join-blitzbokke/ |title=New faces to join Blitzbokke |publisher=blitzbokke.com |date=11 July 2011 |access-date=28 March 2014}} and appeared in the Dubai and South African legs of the 2010–11 IRB Sevens World Series. In October 2011, he signed a two-year deal with the South African Rugby Union to represent the sevens side{{cite web |url=http://www.blitzbokke.com/2011/10/blitzbokke-gain-three-promising-players/ |title=BlitzBokke gain three promising players |publisher=blitzbokke.com |date=27 October 2011 |access-date=28 March 2014}} and became a regular for them in the 2011–12 and 2012–13 seasons of the IRB Sevens World Series.

=Griffons=

At the conclusion of the 2012–13 IRB Sevens World Series, Botha made a return to fifteens rugby and made five appearances for Welkom-based side {{Rut|Griffons}} during the 2013 Currie Cup First Division.

=Pumas=

He then joined the {{Rut|Pumas}} prior to the 2014 Vodacom Cup competition. He was a member of the Pumas side that won the Vodacom Cup for the first time in 2015, beating {{Rut|Western Province}} 24–7 in the final.{{SA Rugby Article | id=3030244 | leagueid=2304 | title=Steval Pumas first-time Vodacom Cup champions – Final Review | date=31 May 2015 | access-date=9 June 2016 | url=http://www.sarugby.co.za/article.aspx?category=sarugby/vodacomcup&id=3030244 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160609204339/http://www.sarugby.co.za/article.aspx?category=sarugby/vodacomcup&id=3030244 | url-status=dead | archive-date=9 June 2016}} Botha made eight appearances during the season.

=Batumi=

He joined Georgian Didi 10 side Batumi for the 2017–18 season.{{cite web | url=http://site.rugby.ge/_rugby/files/GANACXADEBI/2017/D10/BATUMI.doc | title=საქართველოს ჩემპიონატში მონაწილე გუნდის განაცხადი : "სარაგბო კლუბი ბათუმი" | work=Georgia Rugby Union | access-date=30 January 2018 | language=ka}}