Handré Pollard returns to the Bulls more than a decade after playing his first professional game for the Pretoria outfit.
Springbok flyhalf Handré Pollard has reportedly signed to join the Bulls after his contract with Leicester Tigers comes to an end in June.
The ace goal-kicker will return to the Pretoria side after a bidding war for the 30-year-old double World Cup winner concluded this week, News24 reported.
Pollard will strengthen the Bulls’ depth in the kicking department after last year’s Golden Boot winner Johan Goosen sustained an 8-10 week knee injury.
Springbok fullback Willie le Roux has been filling in at 10 for the Bulls with the on-and-off-again form of Boeta Chamberlain proving too unreliable for Bulls boss Jake White.
The Bulls’ other backup flyhalf, Jaco van der Walt, has not been given much game time despite his experience playing internationally (107 caps for Edinburgh and four for Scotland).
Outside centre David Kriel has been kicking at posts for the Bulls lately, and doing decently. But with Pollard’s return there is only one man the ball will go to when shots at posts are on the cards.
Pollard returns to where it all started
The Bulls gave Pollard his first-ever professional cap in 2013. He played his first Super Rugby game a year later at the age of 20 and in the same season earned a call-up to the national side.
Eighty-three Springbok caps later and Pollard is one of the most highly-rated players in the number 10 position worldwide.
In 2019, Pollard was nominated for the World Rugby Player of the Year award after helping the side win the World Cup.
He finished top points scorer in the global showpiece with 69 points to his name.
He also slotted all nine of his attempts at goal in the 2023 Rugby World Cup, scoring all 12 of South Africa’s points through penalties in the final against New Zealand.
