Percy Montgomery facts for kids
Montgomery in 2007
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| Birth name | Percival Colin Montgomery | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 15 March 1974 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Walvis Bay, Namibia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 93 kg (205 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | South African College High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Percival Colin Montgomery OIS (born 15 March 1974) is a former professional rugby union player from South Africa. He was born in Namibia. When he stopped playing international rugby in 2008, he held the records for the most games played (caps) and most points scored for South Africa's national team, the Springboks.
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Playing Career Highlights
Percy Montgomery was born in Walvis Bay on March 15, 1974. He went to the South African College High School in Cape Town. He started his rugby career playing for Western Province and the Stormers in South Africa.
Playing in Wales and France
In 2002, Percy moved to Wales to play for Newport RFC. Later, he joined the Newport Gwent Dragons. After a few years, he returned to South Africa to play for the Sharks. He also played a season in France for Perpignan before coming back to South Africa in 2008. He finished his playing career in May 2009.
Becoming a Springbok Star
Percy first played for the Springboks in July 1997. He played in the 1999 Rugby World Cup. By the end of 2001, he had played 50 games for the Springboks.
For a while, players who played outside South Africa could not be chosen for the Springboks. This changed in 2004, and Percy was called back to the team. He was the top points scorer in the Tri Nations in 2004 and 2005. He holds the record for the most points ever scored by a Springbok player.
Record-Breaking Achievements
On June 17, 2006, Percy became the first Springbok to score over 600 points in his international career. He passed the 700-point mark in June 2007.
At the 2007 Rugby World Cup, Percy achieved two big milestones. He became the first Springbok to score 800 Test points. He also equaled the record for most games played by a Springbok, with his 89th game. A few days later, he broke that record, becoming the most-capped Springbok.
Percy was the top points scorer in the 2007 Rugby World Cup. He played a very important part in helping the Springboks win the Webb Ellis Cup. His 893 Test points are more than double the points of the second-highest Springbok scorer, Naas Botha.
A Challenge and Return
In 2003, while playing for Newport, Percy faced a ban from playing for a period. This meant he could not play in the 2003 Rugby World Cup. He returned to playing in Wales in December 2003.
He later joined the Sharks for the 2006 Super 14 season. In 2008, he returned to Western Province and the Stormers. Percy was the first Springbok to play 100 games for his country. He received a special gold cap for this achievement.
Retirement from Rugby
Percy Montgomery announced he was retiring from international rugby on August 30, 2008. This was after the Springboks won a big game against Australia. In May 2009, he joined the Springboks again, but this time as a coach. He helped the team with their kicking. Soon after this, he confirmed he was fully retiring as a player.
Life After Rugby
After retiring, Percy Montgomery became involved in the tourism industry. He also supports different charities. In 2021, he and his partner, Doris van Niekerk, started their own alcohol brand called El Centurion 102.
Honours and Awards
Percy Montgomery won many awards and championships during his career:
- Currie Cup (with Western Province): 1997, 2000, 2001
- Super Rugby Runners-up (with Sharks): 2007
- World Cup (with South Africa): 2007
- Tri Nations (with South Africa): 1998, 2004
Images for kids
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Montgomery in action for South Africa
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Percy Montgomery running the ball for the Springboks against Samoa in 2007, with Jaque Fourie supporting on the outside.
See also
In Spanish: Percy Montgomery para niños
- List of South Africa national rugby union players – Springbok no. 651
