Handré Pollard facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Handré Pollard

Pollard kicking a conversion at the 2015 Rugby World Cup
Date of birth	(1994-03-11) 11 March 1994 (age 31)
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
Position(s) Fly-half / Inside-Centre Current team Leicester Tigers Youth Career 2007–2011 Western Province Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 2013 UP Tuks 8 (52) Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 2013–2017 Blue Bulls 12 (94) 2014–2019 Bulls 62 (629) 2015–2016 Red Hurricanes Osaka 7 (29) 2019–2022 Montpellier 29 (175) 2022- Leicester Tigers 43 (383) Correct as of 20 January 2025 National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 2012 South Africa Schools 3 (37) 2012–2014 South Africa U20 14 (141) 2014– South Africa 78 (767) Correct as of 10 November 2024

Handré Pollard (born 11 March 1994) is a professional rugby union player from South Africa. He plays for the South Africa national team, known as the Springboks. He also plays for the Leicester Tigers club in England.

Pollard usually plays as a fly-half or inside-centre. He was the starting fly-half when South Africa won the 2019 Rugby World Cup Final. He is one of only 43 players to have won the Rugby World Cup more than once.

Handré Pollard's Rugby Journey

Starting Young: Youth Rugby

Handré Pollard started playing rugby at a young age. In 2007, when he was in primary school, he was chosen for the Western Province team. He played in special tournaments like the Under-13 Craven Week.

He continued to play for Western Province in the Under-16 Grant Khomo Week in 2010. Later, he played in the Under-18 Craven Week in 2011 and 2012. He was even the captain of the South African Schools Under-18 team in both 2011 and 2012.

Becoming a Pro: Club Rugby

Early Professional Years (2012–2015)

In 2012, Pollard moved to Pretoria to join the Blue Bulls team. He first played for the university team, UP Tuks, in the 2013 Varsity Cup. He helped them win the championship, scoring 17 points in the final.

He made his first professional debut for the Blue Bulls in March 2013. He also played in the Currie Cup for the Blue Bulls, becoming their top points scorer in that competition in 2013.

In 2014, Pollard joined the Bulls squad for the 2014 Super Rugby season. This was a major step up in his career. He scored his first Super Rugby points in his very first game. By 2015, he had extended his contract with the Blue Bulls until 2019.

Playing Abroad: Japan and France

In 2015, Pollard played for a Japanese team called NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes Osaka for three months. He then returned to play for the Bulls in South Africa.

Pollard playing for Montpellier in 2019

In May 2019, Pollard decided to move to France. He joined the Top 14 team Montpellier after the 2019 Rugby World Cup. He helped Montpellier win their first-ever French championship in 2022.

Joining Leicester Tigers

In December 2021, it was announced that Pollard would move to England. He joined the Leicester Tigers club in the Premiership Rugby league. He played his first game for Leicester in October 2022.

Playing for South Africa: International Career

Junior Springboks: Under-20 Success

Pollard played for the South African Schools team in 2012. He scored 37 points in three games against France, Wales, and England.

He was also part of the South African Under-20 team that won the 2012 IRB Junior World Championship. This was a huge win for South Africa, and Pollard was a key player. He scored 42 points in the tournament, including four penalties and a drop-goal in the final against New Zealand.

Pollard played in the Junior World Championship again in 2013 and 2014. In 2014, he was the captain of the team. He led them to the final, where they finished as runners-up. He also won the "Young Player of the Year" award for his great performances.

Senior Springboks: World Cup Glory

After his success with the Under-20 team, Pollard was called up to the senior Springbok squad in 2014. He made his international debut on 28 June 2014 against Scotland. He scored 13 points in that game, 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 win 27–25. This ended New Zealand's long unbeaten run.

Pollard was a crucial part of South Africa's squad for the 2019 Rugby World Cup. South Africa won the tournament for the third time, and Pollard was the top points scorer. In the final against England, he scored 22 points, helping the Springboks win the trophy.

At the 2023 Rugby World Cup semi-final, Pollard kicked a penalty in the 77th minute. This kick secured a 16-15 win for South Africa against England, sending them to the final. A week later, in the final against the All Blacks (New Zealand), Pollard scored all of South Africa's points. His four penalty kicks led to an 11–12 victory, securing another World Cup for the Springboks!

Handré Pollard is currently South Africa's second-highest all-time points scorer in international rugby.

Springbok Statistics

International Tries

Try	Opposing team	Location	Venue	Competition	Date	Result
1 & 2	New Zealand	Johannesburg, South Africa	Ellis Park	2014 Rugby Championship	4 October 2014	Won 27–25
3	Wales	Cardiff, Wales	Millennium Stadium	2017 end-of-year rugby union internationals	2 December 2017	Lost 24–22
4	Scotland	Edinburgh, Scotland	Murrayfield	2018 end-of-year rugby union internationals	17 November 2018	Won 20–26
5 & 6	Argentina	Salta, Argentina	Estadio Padre Ernesto Martearena	2019 Rugby Championship	10 August 2019	Won 13-46
7	Wales	Cape Town, South Africa	Cape Town Stadium	Wales Incoming Tour	16 July 2022	Won 30–14

See also

In Spanish: Handré Pollard para niños