South Africa
United StatesSouth African fly-half Reece Botha played in Major League Rugby between 2023-2026. He represented the NOLA Gold (2023-2025) and the Chicago Hounds (2026).
Botha is a Lindenwood product and had been playing with the Gold academy during the fall of 2022 before signing with the senior team in September 2022. He made his MLR debut during the 2023 season and was selected as the Gold‘s Rookie of the year, earning 6 appearances (4 starts), scoring 1 try and 14pts total and racking up over 150m gained. On 14th November 2023, the NOLA Gold announced the re-signing of Reece Botha for the 2024 MLR season, where he appeared in all 17 Gold games (starting 4) as the Gold qualified for the MLR Playoffs for the first time in team history, before falling 21-45 to the Chicago Hounds. Botha scored 2 tries and 53pts total in 2024, and was named as the NOLA Gold‘s most improved player for 2024.
On December 21st, 2024, the NOLA Gold announced the return of Reece Botha for his 3rd MLR season in 2025, where he added a further 9 appearances and 3 starts for the Gold, scoring 1 try and 15pts during a disappointing season for NOLA. This took Botha’s career totals to 13 starts in 32 MLR games for the NOLA Gold, scoring 4 tries and 82pts total with just over 500m gained and 88 tackles completed. Following the withdrawal of the NOLA Gold from Major League Rugby after the 2025 season, Reece Botha signed with the Chicago Hounds and was the first player announced in 2026, on January 2nd.