Handre Pollard lifts the lid on his dream £600,000-a-year move to Leicester

World Cup-winning fly-half Handre Pollard started his career at home in South Africa and also played club rugby in France and Japan.

But the Springbok star, who has wasted no time settling down at Leicester in his life, insists it has always been his dream to come to England.

“I smashed the curries, they’re brilliant,” Pollard said with a smile.

Pollard, who is currently recovering from a knee injury sustained during his international service, was the Premiership’s biggest signing this summer.

At a time when two league clubs – Worcester and Wasps – are fighting for survival and all 13 teams are operating under a reduced salary cap, Leicester’s decision to spend in the region of £600,000 a year on Pollard was a anomaly of the rest of the division.

As their big player, Pollard’s salary falls outside the Leicester salary cap of £5million, although he was always the man head coach Steve Borthwick wanted to replace George Ford.

Pollard had previously been linked with a move to Bath and turned down bigger offers in the Far East to move to the East Midlands and join the defending Premiership champions.

“I’ve always wanted to come to England. I wanted to come here three years ago, but there wasn’t really an opportunity so I had to go elsewhere,” Pollard said.

The South African fly-half started his career with Blue Bulls before playing in France and Japan

“You can’t pass up a chance at a club like this. It was honestly a no-brainer for me. I didn’t expect to be here so soon.

“My wife has been here for a few months now and she’s got the house in order. I missed all the heavy lifting and building the cabinets. That’s been great!’

Pollard and his partner Marise have embraced their latest move and now call Market Harborough their home.

The Springbok star was due to go to Leicester at the end of the Rugby Championship but arrived earlier than planned after falling crippled against Australia.

He was initially expected to be out for about six weeks, but when he arrived in England earlier than expected, he was given a second, more positive medical advice in London.

Pollard completed his £600-a-year dream from Montpellier to Leicester this summer

Pollard is hoping to make his Leicester debut in the coming weeks and was a traveling reserve for his new team’s derby win at Northampton Saints last Saturday.

‘The body is good. I’m doing really well,” Pollard said. “I still have a few boxes to tick. I’m working hard.

‘In Montpellier I had an anterior cruciate ligament tear and was out for nine months. This is very different, it is a small tear in the meniscus.

“It’s a lot better than we initially thought and it’s going really well. We’re still looking at it day by day, but I’m very excited and optimistic.’

Last season, Leicester went from zero to hero, claiming a shocking Premiership title after one of the biggest, if not the biggest, English rugby club had spent years in the doldrums.

He is planning a long stint at Leicester and believes English rugby will improve his game

Key to that success was the English Ford, which moved to Sale this summer. Pollard is his replacement and when he takes the field there is no doubt that Leicester will have a player of serious talent at his disposal. Pollard helped Montpellier win last season’s TOP14 title in France.

He led the ship when South Africa won the 2019 World Cup, helped the Springboks to a 2-1 series win over the British & Irish Lions in 2021, and has 65 test caps.

Leicester is Pollard’s last stop in a career that started with the Bulls in Pretoria and continued in Japan before stopping in Montpellier after Bath failed to interest.

Intriguingly, Pollard thinks English rugby can make him even better and at 28 he has a lot more to give.

The South African is planning a long period at Leicester.

Pollard admits: ‘Getting a chance at a club like this is something you can’t pass up’

“I’m very excited to see what we can do and how I can improve myself,” said Pollard, who will be fit for autumn testing in South Africa but will not qualify for England on November 26 at Twickenham.

“Hopefully with the world-class players we have, it will bring out the best in me. It’s about making a contribution, not being a one-hit wonder from the start.

“You can always learn from any competition in the world. This is the fourth country I’ve played in and it’s so different wherever you go. I’m really excited to play in the Premiership – I’ve always thought it’s a league I could play in quite easily.

“The French league is a lot looser and more creative. In the Eredivisie it is much more structured and more like a chess game. That’s something I’ve always loved about the game and I’m looking forward to improving myself and getting better.”