Biography
Handré Pollard, born 11 March 1994 in Somerset West, has grown into one of rugby’s most reliable pressure kickers and a defining Springbok playmaker. From Paarl Gimnasium to the University of Pretoria, from schoolboy sensation to triple World Cup champion, Pollard’s journey has been fuelled by maturity beyond his years and nerves of steel. Calm, powerful and tactically sharp, he has shaped some of South Africa’s greatest modern rugby moments.
List of Teams Played For
- Western Province (Youth): 2007–2012
- UP Tuks: 2013
- Blue Bulls: 2013–2017
- Bulls: 2014–2019
- NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes Osaka: 2015–2016
- Montpellier: 2019–2022
- Leicester Tigers: 2022–2025
- Bulls (return): 2025–
- South Africa Schools: 2012
- South Africa U20: 2012–2014
- South Africa (senior): 2014–
Rugby World Cups Played
- 2015 Rugby World Cup – Bronze
- 2019 Rugby World Cup – Gold
- 2023 Rugby World Cup – Gold
Key Career Moments
Pollard’s rugby rise began early with Western Province, where he starred at the U13 Craven Week and later captained SA Schools in both 2011 and 2012. His switch to Pretoria in 2013 unlocked the next step of his growth: with UP Tuks he became one of the Varsity Cup’s standout kickers, guiding them to the title with 17 points in the final.
That same year he debuted for the Blue Bulls, and by 2014 he was already starting in Super Rugby for the Bulls. His age-grade career became legendary: he won the 2012 Junior World Championship, captained the 2014 squad, became one of the tournament’s top scorers in history, and claimed the World Rugby Junior Player of the Year award.
Pollard’s Springbok debut in 2014 lit the spark—13 points against Scotland—and months later he stunned New Zealand with two tries and nine points off the tee to end their 22-match unbeaten run.
His biggest global breakthrough came in 2019. Pollard led the Rugby World Cup points tally, hammering 22 points in the final as South Africa claimed their third title. Even a fractured eye socket suffered during the match didn’t stop him finishing the game.
In 2023 he delivered some of the coldest nerves ever seen in international rugby: a 77th-minute semifinal penalty to beat England 16–15, and then all 12 points in the final to defeat New Zealand. Four penalties, pure composure, and back-to-back glory for the Springboks.
After stints in Japan, France and England, Pollard returned home in 2025 to the Bulls—by then already South Africa’s second-highest points scorer of all time.