Chrysander Botha

{{Infobox rugby biography

| name = Chrysander Botha

| image = Chrysander Botha 2015 RWC.jpg

| fullname = Chrysander Antonio Botha

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1988|07|13|df=y}}

| birth_place = Walvis Bay, South Africa{{efn|In 1988, Walvis Bay was a South African exclave, but is part of modern-day Namibia.}}

| height = {{height|m=1.88}}

| weight = {{cvt|78|kg|lb stlb}}

| nickname =

| occupation =

| school = Narraville Primary School
Walvis Bay High

| university = Boland College
University of Johannesburg

| relatives =

| position = Fullback

| currentclub =

| youthyears1 = 2005–2006

| youthclubs1 = Welwitschias U18

| amatyears1 = 2005–2010

| amatteam1 = Kudu Rugby Club

| amatapps1 =

| amatpoints1 =

| years1 = 2010–2011

| clubs1 = {{Rut|Welwitschias}}

| apps1 = 15

| points1 = 136

| years2 = 2010

| clubs2 = {{Rut|Falcons}}

| apps2 = 11

| points2 = 24

| years3 = 2012–2013

| clubs3 = {{Rut|UJ}}

| apps3 = 16

| points3 = 55

| years4 = 2013–2014

| clubs4 = {{Rut|Golden Lions XV}}

| apps4 = 9

| points4 = 37

| years5 = 2013–2014

| clubs5 = {{Rut|Lions}}

| apps5 = 11

| points5 = 0

| years6 = 2013

| clubs6 = {{Rut|Golden Lions}}

| apps6 = 6

| points6 = 0

| years7 = 2014–2016

| clubs7 = Exeter Chiefs

| apps7 = 6

| points7 = 5

| years8 = 2016

| clubs8 = {{Rut|Welwitschias}}

| apps8 = 5

| points8 = 5

| years9 = 2017

| clubs9 = {{Rut|Southern Kings}}

| apps9 = 2

| points9 = 0

| years10 = 2017

| clubs10 = {{Rut|Eastern Province Kings}}

| apps10 = 3

| points10 = 0

| years11 = 2018–2019

| clubs11 = {{Rut|Welwitschias}}

| apps11 =

| points11 =

| repyears1 = 2005

| repteam1 = Namibia U18

| repcaps1 =

| reppoints1 =

| repyears2 = 2007–2008

| repteam2 = Namibia U20

| repcaps2 =

| reppoints2 =

| repyears3 = 2008–2018

| repteam3 = {{nrut|Namibia}}

| repcaps3 = 55

| reppoints3 = 215

| clubupdate = 26 June 2018

| repupdate = 16 November 2018

| coachyears1 = 2022

| coachteams1 = Namibia U20

| coachyears2 = 2022-2024

| coachteams2 = {{nrut|Namibia}} (Assistant Coach)

| coachyears3 = 2024

| coachteams3 = Kudu Rugby Club (Technical Advisor)

| coachyears4 = 2024-

| coachteams4 = {{nrut|Namibia}}

}}

Chrysander Antonio Botha (born 13 July 1988) is the current Head Coach of the Namibia, for whom he previously played and is the top try scorer for.{{Cite news | title=Namibia names Jacques Burger as new rugby coach| newspaper=Reuters | publisher=Reuters | date=6 November 2024| url=https://www.reuters.com/sports/namibia-names-jacques-burger-new-rugby-coach-2024-11-06/}} He played full-back for the {{Rut|Welwitschias}} in the South African Rugby Challenge competition.{{SA Rugby Player Profile | id=37826 | name=Chrysander Botha | date=10 August 2016}}

Playing career

Botha first started playing rugby for Narraville Primary School in Walvis Bay, but as a youngster, Botha preferred football and was selected for the Namibian Under-17s football team that toured Germany in 2004 while he also represented Namibia in an African Youth Cup competition against Burundi.

However, after representing Namibia in Craven Week in 2005, Botha turned to focus on rugby union and began to break into the first team at Kudu Rugby Club.

His performances in Craven Week saw Botha selected for Namibia Under-18s and later Namibia Under-19s, before being selected for Namibia Under-20s in the inaugural IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy in 2008, seeing Namibia finish in fifth place.

Following the Junior World Rugby Trophy in June 2008, Botha earned his first senior cap in August 2008 against Zimbabwe during the 2011 Rugby World Cup African qualification process.

During this period he continued to play for Kudu Rugby Club in the Namibian Premier League, before playing for the Welwitschias in the Vodacom Cup in 2018. He later went onto play professionally for the Falcons in South Africa's Currie Cup First Division.

In 2011, Botha was selected for the 2011 Rugby World Cup, an accolade he again achieved in 2015.

After the 2011 Rugby World Cup, Botha was signed by the University of Johannesburg, and played in the Varsity Cup, showcasing his talent at the university level. His talents during the Varsity Cup saw Botha join the Golden Lions in 2013, where he participated in the Vodacom Cup and Currie Cup. He also played in the promotion/relegation matches that secured the Lions' spot in the 2014 Super Rugby season.{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=112664 | homeid=15674 | awayid=15664 | leagueid=1514 | hometeam=Southern Kings | homescore=19 | awayscore=26 | awayteam=MTN Lions | matchdate=26 July 2013 | date=1 July 2016}}{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=112674 | homeid=15664 | awayid=15674 | leagueid=1514 | hometeam=MTN Lions | homescore=18 | awayscore=23 | awayteam=Southern Kings | matchdate=3 August 2013 | date=1 July 2016}}

He made his Super Rugby debut during that season against the Cheetahs,{{cite press release | url=http://www.lionsrugby.co.za/lionsnews.aspx?item=4128&multiid=1010&archive=0 | title=2014 Lions Super Rugby squad | publisher=Lions | date=11 February 2014 | access-date=11 February 2014 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222152732/http://www.lionsrugby.co.za/lionsnews.aspx?item=4128&multiid=1010&archive=0 | archive-date=22 February 2014 | df=dmy-all }} in Bloemfontein which saw the Lions win 21–20.

Later that year, he signed for Premiership Rugby side Exeter Chiefs in England, scoring a try on his debut.{{cite web|last1=Stevens|first1=Mark|title=Botha signs for Chiefs|url=http://www.exeterchiefs.co.uk/news/botha-signs-chiefs/|website=ExeterChiefs.co.uk|access-date=31 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140805204941/http://www.exeterchiefs.co.uk/news/botha-signs-chiefs/|archive-date=5 August 2014|url-status=dead}} However, injuries limited his appearances to six matches over two seasons and he returned to Namibia to play for the Welwitschias and a brief stint with the Southern Kings in Super Rugby in 2017.

Ahead of retiring from playing rugby in 2019, Botha earned his 50th international cap in 2018, and helped secure qualification for his national side in the 2019 Rugby World Cup.