Career
He originally played as a winger, but has been subsequently converted to a loose-forward or a lock. Youth
Kotze earned a call-up to the Golden Lions" Under-13 Craven Week squad. He went to Hoërskool Marais Viljoen in Alberton, where he appeared mainly as a winger and also earned a selection to the Golden Lions" Craven Week team in 2004.
He progressed through the different age groups at the Golden Lions, playing at Under-19 level in 2005 and at Under-21 level in 2006.
He also played for university side UJ during this time, representing them at the National Club Championships in 2006. Golden Lions
He made his first class debut for the Golden Lions in the 2006 Vodacom Cup, coming on as a first-half substitute in their match against the Western Province in Cape Town.
One more start followed against the Falcons, as well as a further two appearances off the bench. Natal Sharks
In 2007, Kotze made the move to Durban to join the Natal Sharks.
He played for the Sharks U21 side during the 2007 season, but was never involved at first team level
During this time, he also played club rugby for Crusaders. Falcons
He moved back to Gauteng in 2010 by joining the Falcons. By now, he was fully transformed into a loose forward and he made six appearances for the Falcons during the 2010 Vodacom Cup.
He also scored his first try in first class rugby during this competition, scoring two tries in the Falcons" 33–65 defeat to Namibian side Welwitschias.
Move to Australia
In 2013, Brumbies head coach Jake White convinced Kotze to move to Australia to further his rugby career, but he had limited opportunities due to a shoulder injury. At the end of 2013, he moved north to Queensland, where he joined club side Global Positioning System Rugby in Brisbane.
Brisbane City / Reds
His performances for Global Positioning System earned him an inclusion in the Brisbane City squad that played in the inaugural 2014 National Rugby Championship. He played in seven of Brisbane City"s eight regular season matches to help his side qualify for the semi-finals by the competition after finishing in third position on the log.
He also scored a try in their derby match with Queensland Country to help his side to a 29–13 victory.
Shortly after the end of the season, Kotze was included in Super Rugby franchise the Reds" Elite Development Squad for the 2015 Super Rugby season. He was also named in the starting line-up for the side for their opening match of the season against the Brumbies.
