Mouritz Botha (born 29 January 1982) is a former rugby union player who played for the Saracens and Newcastle Falcons in the Aviva Premiership. He joined English club Bedford Blues in 2006 and made 73 appearances before moving to Saracens in 2009. Botha was named in the 2011 England Saxons squad for the Churchill Cup after qualifying for England on residency grounds. He was forced to retire on the 30th of September 2017, on medical advice related to concussion. Bedford Blues Botha joined Bedford Blues from Bedford Athletic in 2006 and was a mainstay in the team. Botha was selected for an East Midlands team that played in a match against the Barbarians. His performances got the attention of the incoming Saracens head coach Brendan Venter and he was signed for Saracens in 2009. Saracens Botha was signed for Saracens in the summer of 2009 from the National League 1 team the Bedford Blues. He made his debut on 5 September 2009 in the London Double Header against London Irish. He came on as a substitute in the 60th minute for fellow Saracens lock Hugh Vyvyan. Mouritz was a success in his first season for Saracens and quickly became a fans' favourite. The season ended in an appearance in the Guinness Premiership Final for Saracens. He again came on as a substitute in this game. He made a total of 32 appearances in the 2009–2010 season, scoring one try. Botha played a vital role in helping Saracens to win the 2010–11 English Premiership. Along the way, he made 27 appearances and was named in the 2011 Sky Sports Dream Team. He was named in the 2011 England Saxons squad for the Churchill Cup and made his debut in the 87–8 victory over the . He was subsequently selected in the full England squad and made his debut against . In Botha's third season for Saracens, he was a frequent starter and helping them to finish in the semi-final places of the 2011–12 English Premiership, before losing to Leicester Tigers in the semi-final. In total, he made 24 appearances for Saracens scoring one try. He also made appearances for in both the Six Nations Championship and in all three tests on England's tour of South Africa. During the season, Botha made his 100th appearance for the club in the 40–7 win over Edinburgh, helping Saracens to win their Heineken Cup pool