Percy Montgomery facts for kids
Montgomery at the 2007 Rugby World Cup
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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 | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 94 kg (207 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | South African College High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Percival Colin Montgomery (born March 15, 1974) is a famous former professional rugby union player from South Africa. He was born in Namibia. When he stopped playing international rugby in August 2008, he held the records for the most games played (called "caps") and the most points scored for South Africa's national team, the Springboks.
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Percy Montgomery's Rugby Journey
Percy Montgomery was born in Walvis Bay on March 15, 1974. He went to a well-known school in Cape Town, South Africa, called South African College Schools.
Playing for Local Teams
Early in his career, Percy played for South African teams like Western Province in the Currie Cup. He also played for the Stormers in Super Rugby. In 2002, he moved to Wales to join Newport RFC. After a change in Welsh rugby in 2003, he then played for the Newport Gwent Dragons.
After the 2004–2005 season, Percy returned to South Africa. He played for the Sharks in the Currie Cup and the Sharks in Super Rugby. Later, in the 2007–2008 season, he played in France for USA Perpignan. He came back to South Africa in June 2008 and played for Western Province and the Stormers again. He officially stopped playing rugby in May 2009.
Playing for the Springboks
Percy Montgomery first played for the Springboks in July 1997. He played as an outside centre against the British & Irish Lions. He was part of the 1999 Rugby World Cup team and had played 50 games for the Springboks by the end of 2001.
For a while, Percy couldn't play for the Springboks because he was playing in Wales. At that time, only players in South Africa could be chosen. But when the rules changed, he was called back to the team in 2004 by coach Jake White.
Percy was the top points scorer in the Tri Nations tournament in 2004 and 2005. He still holds the record for the most points ever scored by a Springbok player. On June 17, 2006, he became the first Springbok to reach 600 points in his international career against Scotland. On June 9, 2007, he passed the 700-point mark against Manu Samoa.
World Cup Success
At the 2007 Rugby World Cup, Percy Montgomery reached two big milestones. On September 14, 2007, in a match against England, he became the first Springbok to score 800 international points. He also tied Joost van der Westhuizen for the most games played for the Springboks, with 89 appearances. On September 22, he broke that record, playing his 90th game against Tonga.
Percy was the top points scorer in the 2007 Rugby World Cup. He played a very important role in helping the Springboks win the Webb Ellis Cup, which is the World Cup trophy.
His 893 international points are more than double the points of the player in second place on the Springboks' all-time points list, Naas Botha. Naas Botha played in only 28 games compared to Percy's 102.
In May 2003, while playing for Newport, Percy was suspended for pushing a match official. This meant he missed the 2003 Rugby World Cup. He returned to play in Wales in December 2003.
Percy Montgomery made history by becoming the first Springbok to play 100 games. He received a special gold cap after a game against the All Blacks in Cape Town.
Retirement from Playing
Percy Montgomery announced he was retiring from international rugby on August 30, 2008. This was after the Springboks beat Australia 53–8 in their last game of the 2008 Tri-Nations. In May 2009, he rejoined the Springboks, but this time as a coach. He helped the team with their kicking before the British & Irish Lions' tour of South Africa in 2009. Soon after this, he confirmed he was fully retired as a player.
Life After Rugby
After retiring, Percy Montgomery became involved in the tourism industry. He also supports various charities. In 2021, he and his long-time partner, Doris van Niekerk, started a successful alcohol brand called El Centurion 102.
Achievements and Awards
Percy Montgomery won many awards and championships during his career:
Team Trophies
- 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
See also
In Spanish: Percy Montgomery para niños
- List of South Africa national rugby union players – Springbok no. 651
