South African Rugby has expressed its condolences to the bereaved family of Blue Bulls centre Ettienne Botha, who died in the early hours of Wednesday morning in a car accident.
Botha (26) died when his car veered off the road and overturned on the N1 highway near Botha Avenue in Pretoria.
Johan Prinsloo, CEO of SA Rugby, conveyed a message of condolence to the close-knit Botha family.
”Ettienne was an outstanding talent and a very popular young man,” said Prinsloo. ”He was well liked by friends and opponents alike. The Blue Bulls and the people of Pretoria have lost one of its favourite sons and we at SA Rugby share in their heartfelt grief and great loss.”
Botha made his Currie Cup debut for the Falcons in 2000, where he quickly established himself as a centre of note.
He later moved to the Blue Bulls where he played a pivotal role in the Bulls’ recent dominance of the country’s premier domestic competition. — Sapa