Handré Pollard facts for kids
Pollard kicking a conversion at the 2015 Rugby World Cup
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| Date of birth | 11 March 1994 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | Somerset West, South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 189 cm (6 ft 2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 98 kg (216 lb; 15 st 6 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Paarl Gimnasium | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | University of Pretoria | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Handré Pollard (born 11 March 1994) is a professional rugby union player from South Africa. He plays as a fly-half or inside-centre. Handré is known for his strong kicking and leadership on the field.
He currently plays for the Bulls team in the United Rugby Championship. He also plays for the South Africa national team, known as the Springboks. He was a key player when South Africa won the 2019 Rugby World Cup Final and the 2023 Rugby World Cup. He is one of only 43 players to have won the Rugby World Cup more than once.
Contents
Handré Pollard's Rugby Journey
Early Rugby Days
Handré started playing rugby at a young age. He was chosen for the Western Province team when he was just 13 years old in 2007. He also played in important youth tournaments like the Under-16 Grant Khomo Week in 2010.
Later, he played in the Under-18 Craven Week in 2011 and 2012. He even captained the South African schools' Under-18 team in both those years.
Professional Club Career
Playing for the Bulls
In 2013, Handré joined the Blue Bulls team in Pretoria, South Africa. He also played for the university team UP Tuks in the 2013 Varsity Cup. He was a top scorer for UP Tuks, helping them win the championship.
He made his professional debut for the Blue Bulls in March 2013. He then played in the Currie Cup, a major South African competition. He was the top points scorer for the Blue Bulls in that season.
In 2014, Handré joined the Bulls team for Super Rugby, a big international club competition. He quickly became an important player for them. He extended his contract with the Bulls until 2019.
Playing in Japan
In 2015, Handré had a short three-month spell playing for NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes Osaka in Japan. He returned to the Bulls after this short period.
Moving to France
After the 2019 Rugby World Cup, Handré moved to France. He joined the Montpellier team in the Top 14 league. He helped Montpellier win their first-ever Top 14 championship in 2022.
Playing in England
In December 2021, it was announced that Handré would join the Leicester Tigers team in England. He started playing for them in October 2022.
Returning to the Bulls
In March 2025, it was confirmed that Handré Pollard would return to South Africa. He rejoined the Bulls team for the 2025-26 season.
International Rugby for South Africa
South Africa Under-20 Team
Handré played for the South Africa Under-20 team multiple times.
Winning the 2012 Junior World Championship
In 2012, Handré was part of the South African Under-20 team that won the 2012 IRB Junior World Championship at home. He played a big role in their victory, especially with his accurate kicking. He helped the team win their first-ever final against New Zealand. He finished as one of the top scorers in the tournament.
Playing in 2013 and 2014
He also played in the 2013 IRB Junior World Championship in France. In 2014, he captained the South Africa Under-20 team in the 2014 IRB Junior World Championship. He was a top scorer again and was even nominated for the Young Player of the Year award, which he won.
Playing for the Springboks
Senior Debut and Early Success
After his great performance in the 2014 Junior World Championship, Handré was called up to the senior Springbok squad. He made his international debut on 28 June 2014 against Scotland. He scored 13 points in that match, helping South Africa win 55–6.
He then played in the 2014 Rugby Championship. He scored his first international tries against New Zealand, helping the Springboks beat them 27–25. This ended New Zealand's long unbeaten run.
Rugby World Cup Victories
Handré was a key player for South Africa in the 2019 Rugby World Cup. He was the top points scorer in the tournament. In the final against England, he scored 22 points, helping South Africa win the trophy for the third time.
He also played a crucial role in the 2023 Rugby World Cup. In the semi-final against England, his late penalty kick secured a 16-15 win for South Africa. A week later, in the final against the All Blacks (New Zealand), he scored all 12 of South Africa's points from penalty kicks, leading them to a thrilling 12-11 victory. This made South Africa champions for the fourth time.
Handré Pollard is currently South Africa's second-highest all-time points scorer in international rugby.
International Statistics
Test Match Record
| Against | P | W | D | L | Tri | Con | Pen | DG | Pts | %Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Argentina |
11 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 19 | 22 | 0 | 114 | 72.73 |
 Australia |
9 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 13 | 0 | 53 | 44.44 |
 British & Irish Lions |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 37 | 66.67 |
 Canada |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | |
 England |
8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 22 | 0 | 84 | 62.5 |
 France |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 32 | 100 |
 Georgia |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 100 |
 Ireland |
4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 39 | 25 |
 Italy |
4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 38 | 100 |
 Japan |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 23 | 66.67 |
 New Zealand |
17 | 7 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 21 | 35 | 3 | 166 | 41.18 |
 Samoa |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 14 | 100 |
 Scotland |
5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 12 | 1 | 68 | 100 |
 Tonga |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 100 |
 United States |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 100 |
 Wales |
9 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 22 | 1 | 91 | 55.56 |
| Total | 81 | 51 | 1 | 29 | 7 | 115 | 168 | 5 | 784 | 62.96 |
P = Games Played, W = Games Won, D = Games Drawn, L = Games Lost, Tri = Tries Scored, Con = Conversions Scored, Pen = Penalties Scored, DG = Drop Goals Scored, Pts = Points Scored
International Tries
| Try | Opposing team | Location | Venue | Competition | Date | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Zealand |
Johannesburg, South Africa | Ellis Park Stadium | 2014 Rugby Championship | 4 October 2014 | Win | 27–25 |
| 2 | |||||||
| 3 | Wales |
Cardiff, Wales | Millennium Stadium | 2017 end-of-year tests | 2 December 2017 | Loss | 24–22 |
| 4 | Scotland |
Edinburgh, Scotland | Murrayfield Stadium | 2018 end-of-year tests | 17 November 2018 | Win | 20–26 |
| 5 | Argentina |
Salta, Argentina | Estadio Padre Ernesto Martearena | 2019 Rugby Championship | 10 August 2019 | Win | 13–46 |
| 6 | |||||||
| 7 | Wales |
Cape Town, South Africa | Cape Town Stadium | 2022 Wales tour of South Africa | 16 July 2022 | Win | 30–14 |
Personal Life
Handré Pollard is married to Marise, and they have a son together.
See also
In Spanish: Handré Pollard para niños
