Botia eyes Top 14 title for La Rochelle

Veteran flanker Levani Botia wants to leave a mark at La Rochelle before he hangs his boot.

Turning 37 this year, the Na-ivucini, Naitasiri man continues to be impressive in the French Top 14 competition.

Known for his high work rate at the breakdown, turno-vers and strong runs Botia scored his 50th try for the club last month. He has played 236 matches for La Rochelle since 2013.

Speaking to Midi Olympique on Thursday, Botia remains positive for the future.

“I want to bring the Top 14 title back to La Rochelle before I retire,” Botia said.

“We still have a chance. We try to keep our head high and move forward.

“I try to enjoy the end of my career and will give my best until the end.”

Botia added that his teammates are often surprised by his performance given his age and being the oldest in the team.

“I’m happy the boys look up to me, they see me as a good performer that’s what I do - I don’t think about myself, I think about my team, my family, supporters.

“With my age I need more recovery time and my family knows that whenever I’m home.”

Botia has played 172 Top 14 matches so far and has 27 Test caps for Fiji.