Liam Botham

Who is Liam Botham?

Liam James Botham is a former rugby player who played rugby union and later rugby league. He is the son of English Test cricketer Ian Botham. His godfather is the former West Indian cricket captain Viv Richards.

Botham initially followed in his father's footsteps, playing county cricket for Hampshire. He took the wicket of former England captain Mike Gatting on his County Championship debut. However, he left the sport in 1997 after just one season to play rugby union for West Hartlepool. He made his debut for the England under-21 team the same year, before successive moves to Cardiff and Newcastle Falcons.

While at Newcastle the club won the Tetley Bitter Cup and reached the final of the European Shield. In 2003, he switched sports again, signing for Super League club Leeds Rhinos. Although playing well for the Rhinos, the 2004 Superleague Champions, Botham signed for struggling Wigan towards the end of the season, feeling he could not get a regular place in the Rhinos team.

In 2005, he announced his retirement aged 27 after a neck injury. Towards the end of the 2006 season, there were signs that he might return to playing competitive cricket: he played a significant role in an England XI victory against Lancashire in a testimonial match for Andrew Flintoff at Old Trafford. In 2006, Botham set up a company with his friend James Miller; Botham & Miller will offer executive sporting trips to South Africa, Australia and other destinations.