One of the all-time greats of South African rugby, Naas Botha won 28 caps for the Springboks in a 12-year international career stymied by his country’s sporting isolation.

First capped in 1980, the fly-half went on to become the highest points-scorer in South African rugby history with 312 points, a record that stood until 2004. Twenty of those points came in an epic performance against the All Blacks in 1981, a year after he’d masterminded a series win over the 1980 British and Irish Lions. As captain, in 1986 he led the Springboks to a 3-1 series victory against the rebel New Zealand Cavaliers – an All Blacks side in all but name. 

A four-time winner of the South African Rugby Player of the Year award, Botha also enjoyed a highly-decorated club and provincial career, winning titles with Northern Transvaal and in Italy with Rovigo.