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Montpellier’s Handre Pollard in action during a Top 14 match against Racing 92 in Nanterre, near Paris, on December 21, 2019.
Jean Catuffe / Getty Images
Flyhalf winner of the Springboks Rugby World Cup Handre pollard it has said that it would welcome more South African parties to join PRO14 in Europe.
Reports claim that Pollard’s former team, the Bulls, Lions, Sharks and Stormers, will replace the Cheetahs and Southern Kings in the league that includes teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales.
The move would lead to rainbow nation teams pulling out of Super Rugby, a Southern Hemisphere tournament they have participated in since 1996.
“It can definitely be a positive thing. It’s difficult because Super Rugby is something very dear to our hearts and we really enjoy that competition as well,” Pollard said Monday.
“But times have changed and many things have changed in recent months. Financially we are not where other countries are, so we have to take care of ourselves and the future of the Springboks.”
“It would be very good for South African teams to play in the northern hemisphere. It would develop everyone’s style of play and knowledge of rugby,” he added.
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The move could mean Jacques Nienaber’s men leaving the Rugby Championship for a Test tournament in the north, and French federation president Bernard Laporte said last week there were advanced talks for them to join an event. of ‘Eight Nations’ later this year.
“Our style of play is a bit more suited to the Northern Hemisphere than the Southern Hemisphere. Playing the All Blacks is an experience that you can’t explain to many people and you don’t want to miss out on that,” Pollard said.
“It’s going to be tough, luckily I don’t have to make that decision. Good luck to those guys.”
Former French scrum half born in South Africa Rory Kockott He said the Boks and All Blacks would miss not facing each other and an aligned global schedule should be the priority.
“Two of the world’s greats, New Zealand and South Africa, will not be able to progress without internal competition between the two teams,” Castres’ scrum-half told AFP on Monday.
“Having an international rugby season together would be a much more productive idea. Whether all international teams are capable of doing it or not is a different question,” he added.
Pollard begins his second season with the Montpellier Top 14 on Friday in a campaign that will end with the British and Irish Lions’ tour of South Africa in July and August.
“It’s huge. I’m not going to put a lot of focus, time and energy into now, but it will always be in the back of your head,” he said.
“Every training session, every game you play, you are going to play to make sure you are fighting full blast next year. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity. If you are selected, it will be an incredible experience,” he said. additional.
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