Gouws was born in Richards Bay, but grew up in Mpumalanga, where he attended Hoër Tegniese Skool Middelburg. He represented the local rugby union, the Pumas at the Under-13 Craven Week in 2008, the Under-16 Grant Khomo Week in 2011 and the Under-18 Craven Week held in Polokwane in 2013.[1]
After school, he moved to Durban to join the Sharks academy. He played for their Under-19 team in the 2014 Under-19 Provincial Championship and for their Under-21 team in the Under-21 Provincial Championships in 2015 and 2016. He also played in the 2015 Varsity Shield competition with the UKZN Impi.
He made his first class debut in the 2016 Currie Cup qualification series, coming on as a replacement in the Sharks XV's 32–37 defeat to the Border Bulldogs in East London.[2] He made a further five starts and two appearances as a replacement for the Sharks XV in the 2017 Rugby Challenge competition.[3]
In the second half of 2017, Gouws moved to Port Elizabeth to continue his rugby career. After a single match for the Eastern Province Kings in the 2017 Currie Cup First Division against the Griffons in Welkom, he appeared for the Southern Kings in their inaugural season in the Pro14 competition.[4] He made his debut in the competition as a replacement against the Dragons in Newport.[5] After a further three appearances as a replacement, he made his first start in their match against the Cheetahs in Port Elizabeth,[6] eventually playing in eleven matches for a Southern Kings side that finished bottom of Conference B with just a single victory all season.
Gouws also played for the Eastern Province Elephants – the new name for the Eastern Province Kings – in the 2018 Rugby Challenge.