Springboks enforcer Bakkies Botha scuffles with All Blacks lock Sam Whitelock in a test in South Africa in 2011.

Former Springboks enforcer Bakkies Botha is revelling in his hard man reputation, admitting he was "born to hurt others".

Botha was recently awarded the No 9 spot on a list of the 10 hardest rugby players who ever lived, compiled by Welsh great Graham Price.

Botha, the tough lock who helped South Africa win the 2007 World Cup and never took a backward step in 85 tests, sees that as a badge of honour.

Botha took his game to France in 2011, helping the powerful Toulon club dominate the local and European scene.

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He loved the physical nature of the French scene and wished he played there in an even tougher era.

"French rugby, I love it. It is the most brutal rugby I have ever played," he told Midi Olympique.

"Last week, a friend sent me an article on a Welsh newspaper: the journalist (Graham Price) classified from 1 to 10 the most violent players in history.

"I was ninth. In front of me, there was only Jerry Collins and French forwards from the 80s!

"They wore moustaches, big headbands around their ears. They always had their eyes closed by a swollen black eye. They couldn't see anything.

"I would have dreamed of playing in the French championship of the 80s. It was terrible. If you took a hit, you had to give it back."

STUFF South African lock Bakkies Botha gives All Blacks second rower Chris Jack a massage during a Christchurch test in 2004.

Botha is overstating the French element in Price's list a little. Colin Meads at No 4, Frank Oliver at No 5 and Buck Shelford at No 7 were other All Blacks alongside Collins who were rated "harder" than Botha but the list was topped by three French forwards - prop Gerard Cholley (1), lock Michel Palmie (2) and lock Alain Esteve (3).

Botha lamented the era he played in to a degree.

"Today, things have changed. We leave the field for a black eye," he told Midi Olympique.

"Player safety is obviously a priority.

"But hey, me at the time when I played, I liked when the context hardened. I liked it when the fight got wilder.

SKY TV Bakkies Botha was banned for nine weeks for headbutting All Blacks halfback Jimmy Cowan in 2010.

"The other day, during a charity dinner, a former Springbok coach told me that I was born to hurt others.

"It's true, on the field, I liked to see fear in the eyes of my opponents."

Botha said he had no regrets over his infamous headbuttt of All Blacks halfback Jimmy Cowan at Eden Park in 2010 that saw him banned for nine weeks.

"No, not a single second. And if I were to relive this situation, I would do the exact same thing," he said.

"That day in Auckland I was battling with Cowan following a kick. I was faster than him. I had passed him and he pulled me by the shirt to slow me down. When I caught up with him ten metres away, I made him understand that I hadn't liked it … I hate injustice.

"It's not something I'm proud of. I kind of dropped the Springboks that day. And Jimmy Cowan won the mini-battle. But I would react in exactly the same way today… it's still the fault of the No9. They talk too much and know better than anyone how to get you out of the game."

Given that sort of attitude, Price's evaluation of Botha seems pretty accurate.

"In an era when it has been more difficult to 'assert yourself' as a hard man because there are so many TV cameras around these days, he was still able to stand out as the Springboks' enforcer for a decade," Price wrote.

"Let's just say he was able to keep the tradition going of the hardest of South African second rows.

"Botha helped beat up the Lions in 2009 in what were brutal modern-day test matches."