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Jake White's Bulls to lose Arno Botha to France - report

Arno Botha in Super Rugby Unlocked action for the Bulls in 2020 (Photo by Lee Warren/Gallo Images/Getty Images)

The Vodacom Bulls are reportedly set to lose Arno Both to Lyon, just a year after he returned to Pretoria.

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Botha, an explosive ball carrier who plays flanker and number eight, played his entire professional career with the Blue Bulls before moving to London Irish in 2018.

From there he moved to Irish province Munster for two seasons, before returning to Jake White’s Bulls in the second half of 2020.

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A former South Africa U20s captain, he featured for the Springboks on two occasions in 2013.

Now – according to Rapport in South Africa – Botha, who has captained the Bulls, is set to return to Europe to take up a lucrative offer with Lyon.

It’s a bit of a blow for White, who most recent tenure at the Bulls has been typified by his brilliance in the recruitment department.

Botha rose to prominence for South Africa U20s during the 2011 IRB Junior World Championship, scoring six tries on his way to being named South Africa Under-20 Player of the Year.

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His rise in stock earned him a call-up to the Springbok senior set-up two years later, when he made his debut against Italy in Durban. Highly thought of by the Blue Bulls, Botha signed a contract extension with the Pretoria-based club the same year.

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J
JW 4 hours ago
The Fergus Burke test and rugby's free market

Of course not, but were not going to base our reasoning on what is said in one comment in a particular scenario and time, are we?


Actually, you are? Seriously?

Although Burke readily admits “I am driven by international rugby”, his final destination is still unknown. He could be one day replacing Finn Russell in the navy blue of Scotland, or challenging Marcus Smith for the right to wear a red rose on his chest, or cycling all the way home to the silver fern. It is all ‘Professor Plum in the billiards room with the lead pipe’ type guesswork, as things stand.

You yourself suggested it? Just theoretically? Look I hope Burke does well, but he's not really a player that has got a lot of attention, you've probably read/heard more him in this last few months than we have in his 4 years. Your own comments also suggest going overseas is a good idea to push ones case for national selection, especially for a team like NZ being so isolated. So i'll ask again, as no of your quotes obviously say one thing or the other, why don't you think he might be trying to advance his case like Leicester did?


Also, you can look at Leicesters statements in a similar fashion, where no doubt you are referring to his comments made while in NZ (still playing a big part of the WC campaign in his case). You should be no means have taken them for granted, and I'd suggest any other coach or management and he might not have returned (been wanted back).

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