Francois Hougaard facts for kids

Francois Hougaard, born on 6 April 1988, is a talented South African professional rugby player. He mainly plays as a scrum-half, which is like the quarterback of a rugby team. He can also play on the wing, which is a fast-paced attacking position.

Playing for Rugby Clubs

Francois Hougaard started his club rugby career with Western Province in 2007. After that, he joined the Blue Bulls team. He played for them for eight seasons. During this time, he also represented the Bulls in the Super Rugby competition.

Winning the Currie Cup

In 2009, Hougaard helped the Blue Bulls win the Currie Cup final. He was only 21 years old, making him the youngest player in the starting team. He scored a try in that final match, which the Blue Bulls won 36–24 against the Free State Cheetahs.

Playing as Scrum-Half

During the 2011 Super Rugby season, Hougaard showed how good he was at playing scrum-half. This was his favourite position. Because of his great performance, he was chosen for the Springbok World Cup Squad in 2011. He went to Paul Roos Gymnasium for school, where he also played rugby.

Moving to England

In 2016, Hougaard moved to England to play for the Worcester Warriors club. He quickly made an impact, scoring a try in his first game. He also earned a "man-of-the-match" award in another game. He later signed a permanent contract with the Warriors.

Playing for Wasps

After his time with Worcester, Hougaard joined another English club, Wasps, for the 2021–22 season. Unfortunately, the Wasps club faced financial problems. In October 2022, all players and coaches, including Hougaard, lost their jobs when the team went into administration.

International Rugby Career

Francois Hougaard has proudly represented his country, South Africa, in international rugby. He played for the main Springbok team from 2009 to 2014. Later, he joined the South African Sevens team in 2015.

Early Springbok Tours

His first tour with the Springboks was in late 2009. He played in one test match against Italy. He also played in two other touring matches. He helped his teams win the Currie Cup in 2009 and the Super Rugby title in 2010. He scored tries in both of these finals.

Rugby World Cup 2011

Hougaard was part of the South African team for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. He came off the bench in South Africa's first match against Wales and scored a try. He also started a game against Namibia, where he scored two tries. South Africa was knocked out of the tournament by Australia.

Playing Sevens Rugby

In 2015, Hougaard signed a special contract to play for the Blitzboks, which is the nickname for the South African Sevens team. He played in several tournaments for them. He even scored the winning try in a playoff match against Australia at the Dubai Sevens.

Olympic Bronze Medal

Hougaard was a member of the South African Sevens team that won a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. He was initially a reserve player. However, he joined the team on the final day of the tournament after another player, Seabelo Senatla, got injured. After the team received their medals, Hougaard offered his bronze medal to Senatla. He felt that Senatla deserved it more because he had played a bigger part in the earlier games.

See also

In Spanish: Francois Hougaard para niños