(SATSports) – Handre Pollard’s move to Leicester Tigers has been confirmed, with the South Africa World Cup winner joining from French club Montpellier for next season.
The 27-year-old fly-half helped the Springboks to victory over England in the 2019 Rugby World Cup final and has won 60 Test caps since making his international debut seven years ago.
Pollard’s arrival at Mattioli Woods Welford Road will fill the vacancy at No. 10 created by England international George Ford’s impending move from Leicester to Gallagher Premiership rivals Sale Sharks.
“Handre is a world-class fly-half who brings with him a wealth of experience from Super Rugby, Top 14 and international rugby,” Tigers head coach Steve Borthwick said of Pollard, who will link up with the Tigers for the 2022/23 season once his international commitments have been completed.
“He is a World Cup winner who has been highly sought after from clubs all over the globe. But, most pleasingly, he sees Leicester Tigers as the club for him.
“What has impressed me most in our dealings with him has been his desire to be a part of what we are building at this club but also his desire to develop, learn and grow as a player and person.”
Pollard has gone on to establish himself as an international star since making his Super Rugby debut for the Bulls in 2014 and spent five years with the Pretoria-based side prior to joining Top 14 team Montpellier in 2019.
A prolific goal-kicker, he has scored over 600 points for South Africa and finished the 2019 World Cup as the tournament’s top point-scorer, which included a haul of 22 points in the Springboks’ victory in the final.
The announcement of Pollard’s signing comes with Leicester currently top of the Premiership after recording nine successive victories and preparing for their opening Heineken Champions Cup clash against Bordeaux-Begles on Saturday.
“The club is going brilliantly at the moment and I know there is an expectation to continue that, to keep getting better, because getting to the top is hard, but staying there is even harder,” Pollard said.
“There are bigger deals on the table, but I’ve made this decision to work with Steve and to be a part of an unreal, great club at Leicester Tigers which has such a great history.”
