Canadian-eligible South African hooker Dewald Kotze played in Major League Rugby between 2022-2024. He represented the Dallas Jackals for his entire MLR career.

Born and raised in South Africa, Kotze moved to Edmonton, Alberta at the age of 14 and played for the Strathcona Druids. He joined the Pacific Pride Canadian National team development program in 2019, and was named as part of the 40-man extended squad for the men’s national team in June 2021. He represented his adopted country during their July test against Romania in 2024, a 35-22 victory in Ottawa.

The Dallas Jackals announced the initial signing of Kotze in January 2022, and he earned 4 caps (3 starts) for the Jackals during their challenging debut season in the competition. He returned for his sophomore season in 2023 much improved, earning 14 further caps and 10 more starts. He scored 3 tries and completed 123 successful tackles. On 28th November, the Dallas Jackals announced the return of Dewald Kotze for the 2024 season where he enjoyed a stand-out year. He set a new MLR record when he scored five tries in a single game, finishing T-3rd in league-wide try scoring, with 11. He also gained over 300m and completed over 160 tackles in 17 appearances (16 starts) for Dallas as the Jackals made the playoffs for the first time in team history, and stunned the top-seed Houston SaberCats. Kotze was named to the All-MLR Honorable Mention XV for his performance in 2024.

Shortly after the conclusion of the 2024 season, the Dallas Jackals announced that they were withdrawing from MLR. In the subsequent dispersal draft, Kotze was selected 10th overall by the Seattle Seawolves, and on 4th November 2024, the Seawolves confirmed this signing for the 2025 season.

Achievements:

• 2024 All-MLR Honorable Mention XV
• MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 6
• MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 1
• T-3rd in MLR Try Scoring: 2024 (11)
• MLR Team of the Week: 2023 – Rd 14