34 - 19

Toyota Cheetahs sign teen centre Botha from Montpellier

08 Jun 2020

Getty Images

The Toyota Cheetahs have confirmed the signing of 18-year-old centre Lesley Botha, the latest teen signing in the increasingly competitive market for South African schoolboy rugby talent. Botha has signed a two-contract at the Toyota Cheetahs from the French Top14 club, Montpellier.

Botha, was in matric at Grey College in Bloemfontein last year, and also represented Free State Cheetahs at the 2019 Craven Week. The annual Craven Week was contested at Grey in 2019.

Botha played for the 1st XV of his alma mater for two years, and while he played centre, he also played on the wing.

Straight after school, he joined Montpellier in France, and while he was only there for a very short time, he started training with the senior team.

Botha’s approach on the attack is very direct and he knows how to create space. He is also fearless in defence. His deceptive speed will add a lot of value to any team he plays for.

Botha is 1,83m tall and tips the scales at 90kg. His teammate at Montpellier, Marcell Muller, recently also signed a contract at the Cheetahs along with George Cronjé. Cronjé was Botha and Muller’s captain at school.

Botha got to train alongside the two-time World Cup-winning Springbok, Frans Steyn, while still at Montpellier. Steyn also recently signed a two-year deal at the Toyota Cheetahs.

While Botha will only turn 19 in July, he has dreams of playing for the Toyota Cheetahs in the Guinness PRO14 and Currie Cup, and his sights are also set on higher honours.

“I don’t regret coming back to Bloemfontein because I love the Free State and I grew up here. Having said that, I also don’t regret going to France, even though it was only for a short time.

“There I learnt that you don’t have to rely on someone bigger, better, or richer than you to make yourself the best that you can be.

“If you just believe in yourself and have hope you can fulfil your dreams any place and anywhere. I don’t have to rely on a place, someone or a club fulfil my dreams.

“I believe I can fulfil my dreams in the Free State and I am really excited to carry on with my journey here.”

Botha’s contract at the Toyota Cheetahs starts on 1 November 2020 and will run until 31 October 2022.

Boks Office | Episode 37 | Six Nations Round 4 Review

Cape Town | Leg 2 | Day 2 | HSBC Challenger Series 2025 | Full Day Replay

Gloucester-Hartpury vs Bristol Bears | PWR 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

Boks Office | Episode 36 | Six Nations Round 3 Review

Why did Scotland's Finn Russell take the crucial kick from the wrong place? | Whistle Watch

England A vs Ireland A | Full Match Replay

Kubota Spears vs Shizuoka BlueRevs | JRLO 2024/2025 | Full Match Replay

Watch now: Lomu - The Lost Tapes

Comments

0 Comments

Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Latest Features

LONG READ

Did innovative England emerge strongest from the Six Nations?

Steve Borthwick's deluge of back-rowers and clever use of the bench points the way forward for teams who cannot deploy a bruising 7:1 split.

LONG READ

Underpants, duvet covers and Louis Bielle-Biarrey

LBB as he's known in France is a superstar-in-waiting and his genius will help those longing for the return of Antoine Dupont bearable

LONG READ

Mick Cleary: 'England are back among the heavyweights.'

Steve Borthwick's men were much maligned at the start of the Six Nations but their renaissance is gathering momentum

Comments on RugbyPass

MichaelT4 16 minutes ago

Six Nations report card: Each team graded from A to F

I definitely watched the game - England did stun them by winning, no one expected that. Not Englands fault that France dropped the ball - figuratively and literally - and it was England who then outscored them and out scrummed them and battered their big forwards back several times. England arent given enough credit for that win. Game of the tournament. Ireland v France wasnt a game by the second half, it was one-way.

For the Scotland game they were lucky Russell missed his kicks, but Scotland should have had a red card for the head contact from the winger on Chessum. No arms, jumped up and first contact was with the head. Evens out on the luck front.

Not sure England deserve an A that this article gives them, should be reserved for the winner, but they won their games by scoring more points. If another team had the same tournament as England, they would be lauded for their character and grit.

2 Go to comments

JB 32 minutes ago

Six Nations report card: Each team graded from A to F

Re England … “they stunned France …”

Really? Were we watching the same game? France left at least 3 tries begging, none of which were due to England’s defense - they should have been out of sight by half time.

For me, it was more France losing the game than England winning it.

France were stunned, yes, but by themselves

2 Go to comments

Jahmirwayle 49 minutes ago

Crusaders rookie earns 'other than Dupont' praise from All Blacks star

It started with a gut-wrenching realization. I’d been duped. Months earlier, I’d poured $133,000 into what I thought was a golden opportunity a cryptocurrency investment platform promising astronomical returns. The website was sleek, the testimonials glowed, and the numbers in my account dashboard climbed steadily. I’d watched my Bitcoin grow, or so I thought, until the day I tried to withdraw it. That’s when the excuses began: “Processing delays,” “Additional verification required,” and finally, a demand for a hefty “release fee.” Then, silence. The platform vanished overnight, taking my money with it. I was left staring at a blank screen, my savings gone, and a bitter taste of shame in my mouth.I didn’t know where to turn. The police shrugged cybercrime was a black hole they couldn’t navigate. Friends offered sympathy but no solutions. I spent sleepless nights scouring forums, reading about others who’d lost everything to similar scams. That’s when I stumbled across a thread mentioning a group specializing in crypto recovery. They didn’t promise miracles, but they had a reputation for results. Desperate, I reached out.The first contact was a breath of fresh air. I sent an email explaining my situation dates, transactions, screenshots, everything I could scrape together. Within hours, I got a reply. No fluff, no false hope, just a clear request for more details and a promise to assess my case. I hesitated, wary of another scam, but something about their professionalism nudged me forward. I handed over my evidence: the wallet addresses I’d sent my Bitcoin to, the emails from the fake platform, even the login credentials I’d used before the site disappeared.The process kicked off fast. They explained that scammers often move funds through a web of wallets to obscure their tracks, but Bitcoin’s blockchain leaves a trail if you know how to follow it. That’s where their expertise came in. They had tools and know-how I couldn’t dream of, tracing the flow of my coins across the network. I didn’t understand the technical jargon hash rates, mixing services, cold wallets but I didn’t need to. They kept me in the loop with updates: “We’ve identified the initial transfer,” “The funds split here,” “We’re narrowing down the endpoints.” Hours passed , and I oscillated between hope and dread. Then came the breakthrough. They’d pinpointed where my Bitcoin had landed a cluster of wallets tied to the scammers. Some of it had been cashed out, but a chunk remained intact, sitting in a digital vault the crooks thought was untouchable. I didn’t ask too many questions about that part; I just wanted results. They pressured the right points, leveraging the blockchain evidence to freeze the wallets holding my funds before the scammers could liquidate them. Next morning, I woke up to an email that made my heart skip. “We’ve secured access to a portion of your assets.” Not all of it some had slipped through the cracks but $133,000 worth of Bitcoin, my original investment, was recoverable. They walked me through the final steps: setting up a secure wallet, verifying the transfer, watching the coins land. When I saw the balance tick up on my screen, I sat there, stunned. It was real. My money was back.The ordeal wasn’t painless. I’d lost time, sleep, and a bit of faith in humanity. But the team at Alpha Spy Nest Recovery turned a nightmare into a second chance. I’ll never forget what they did. In a world full of thieves, they were the ones who fought to make things right. Contacts below: email: Alphaspynest@mail.com, WhatsApp: +14159714490‬, Telegram: https://t.me/Alphaspynest

8 Go to comments

TI 52 minutes ago

Lions selection: 3 winners and losers from each country

Hugo Keenan played well in games where Ireland didn’t. I think he should be listed as a winner instead of Beirne, or Sheehan, who were always going to go.

2 Go to comments

Chelsey Kate 59 minutes ago

Did innovative England emerge strongest from the Six Nations?

Hire Expert Certified Intelligence Cyber Wizard Assets Recovery Company for any job?

I was persuaded to buy cryptocurrency by someone I met online. They have access to a group of analysts who provide reliable predictions for the rise and fall of BTC. I initially attempted with a modest amount just to be sure, and I was successful in withdrawing money twice. This demonstrated a growth in the signals I was receiving. I decided to include corporate funds as well. When I tried to contact the individual at that point, he had banned all of his connections, which is when everything started to go wrong. I tried everything until a friend of mine introduced me to a hacker INTELLIGENCE CYBER WIZARD, a company that helps individuals and businesses recover their stolen BTC assets. They truly helped me to recover everything at an affordable fee and I was exultantly proud and joyful; in high spirits. If you are in the same mess, To learn more about them kindly reach out to them with the details below:

E-mail: intelligencecyberwizard@gmail.com

Mail: intelligencecyberwizard@mai

l.com

Brumbies on high alert: Len Ikitau’s stark warning over ex-boss

Did innovative England emerge strongest from the Six Nations?

Select Edition

Toyota Cheetahs sign teen centre Botha from Montpellier

Boks Office | Episode 37 | Six Nations Round 4 Review

Cape Town | Leg 2 | Day 2 | HSBC Challenger Series 2025 | Full Day Replay

Gloucester-Hartpury vs Bristol Bears | PWR 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

Boks Office | Episode 36 | Six Nations Round 3 Review

Why did Scotland's Finn Russell take the crucial kick from the wrong place? | Whistle Watch

England A vs Ireland A | Full Match Replay

Kubota Spears vs Shizuoka BlueRevs | JRLO 2024/2025 | Full Match Replay

Watch now: Lomu - The Lost Tapes

Trending on RugbyPass

Lions selection: 3 winners and losers from each country

Rassie Erasmus explains so-called Willie Le Roux Bok selection snub

Mitchell hints England's much-maligned habit is a thing of the past

Gregor Townsend breaks silence on his Scotland future

Bath win Prem Cup to end 17-year trophy wait

Fissler Confidential: Paddy Jackson set for Premiership return?

Four England talking points after their Six Nations rout of Wales

What Steve Borthwick told Matt Sherratt following Wales debacle

Comments

Latest Features

Did innovative England emerge strongest from the Six Nations?

Underpants, duvet covers and Louis Bielle-Biarrey

Mick Cleary: 'England are back among the heavyweights.'

Comments on RugbyPass