Naas Botha returns to coaching at schoolboy level

Hoërskool Eldoraigne has announced the appointment of Springbok legend Naas Botha as their Director of Rugby.

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The appointment, which was confirmed on the school’s social media pages, is effective immediately, and heralds a new era for the school’s rugby programme.

Botha, now 65, needs no introduction in rugby circles.

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His playing career included 28 appearances as a flyhalf for the Springboks in which he scored 312 points.

However, it was on the provincial stage that Botha truly left his mark.

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He donned the Northern Transvaal (Blue Bulls) jersey in 179 matches, 128 of those as captain, amassing 2 511 points in the process.

Under his leadership, Northern Transvaal clinched the Currie Cup a remarkable nine times.

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Outside of South Africa, Botha played in Italy, where he played 119 matches for Rovigo, scoring 1 731 points.

His on-field performances earned him the title of South African Rugby Player of the Year on four occasions – 1979, 1981, 1985 and 1987.

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Coaching career

After hanging up his boots, Botha transitioned from a distinguished playing career into coaching and management roles.

His coaching journey saw him guide Tukkies’ Varsity Cup team to success.

One of the defining moments of Botha’s coaching career came when he managed the 2002 Junior Springboks, leading them to victory in the World Rugby U20 Championship.

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Who are Hoërskool Eldoraigne?

Hoërskool Eldoraigne is a public Afrikaans medium co-educational high school situated in the suburb of Eldoraigne in Centurion in the Gauteng province.

It is one of the most academic schools in Gauteng and its learners are known as Eldo’s.