According to reports, the Bulls have signed Baby Boks flyhalf Handré Pollard.
Beeld newspaper reports that the Paarl Gym pivot has signed a contract with the Bulls until 2015.
Pollard, who will captain the Western Province Craven Week side later this year, apparently signed the contract last year already.
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Cue the next Bok flyhalf talk…..
@Richard, so true! My concern is they probably have signed half of the KZN Craven Week side already. SARU need to spread the talent more. Does anybody know where the injured Kriel from College is going, he is seriously talented?
@Grasshopper (Comment 2) :
What’s slightly concerning is that a 17 year old kid has made a decision that will influence the rest of his life, most likely following the advise of some agent..
Surely this needs to be regulated?!
Well done for the Laaitie. If someone is willing to invest in you, why not.
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 1) :
Keo reckons Goosen and Pollard are the future Bok 10’s!
🙄
Heard on 702 in an interview this morning that he hasn’t signed anywhere yet, waiting until after Craven Week.
Firstly, I don’t believe it. And he’d be stupid to sign for them.
@hendrikp (Comment 7) :
Why do you say that?
He won’t go to the Cheetahs, he would be stuck behind Goosen.
WP already have Catrakilis and this Swiel laaitie, dont they?
The Sharks don’t know about him
The Lions might not be around.
So the Bulls seems like the best option really?
Josh Stander,that’s all am going to say
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 8) :
There are rumours doing the rounds that ‘The Greek’ is leaving for an overseas club! 🙄
I would have thought WP would do everything to sign a 90kg schoolboy flyhalf.
Swiel isn’t that good imho. And he is much lighter/smaller than Pollard!! 🙄
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 8) : Pretty sure he could start for WP in the Currie Cup with their attrition rate at flyhalf.
Anyone got an idea who the sharks signed from this current crop of School boys? (and i`m talking about guys thats older than 22) 😉
@PTAShark (Comment 6) : I also heard that this morning which makes me think that he is going somewhere other than staying with WP.
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 8) :
Bulls it will be a while before he gets an opportunity IMO. They already have Morne & seem to be grooming Louis Fouche… Then they also invested in Lionel Cronje.
The Bulls are buying everyone from everywhere. He’d be better off sticking with the Province that has invested time & effort into him.
Also, I think WP will be best off looking at Swiel as a fullback that can play flyhalf. Will be interesting to see whether he or Steyl gets the first shot at it during the CC.
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 8) :
Also, Catrakilis is so heavily overrated it’s not even funny!
Outside of the ‘alright’ Peter Grant, we’re lost at 10 at the moment.
@wpw (Comment 10) :
Bits I’ve seen and heard of Swiel, he’s an absolute freak. What has he done to make you think he’s ‘not that good’? Doesn’t look small either.
Bulls always seem to sign these youngsters rush them in and have them dissapear !!! Sad that sadie wasn’t given full trust he’s a talent but needs confidence
@hendrikp (Comment 14) :
I hear what you are saying, but honestly, Fouche has had his chances at the Bulls , not really taking them, and Cronje is far from special..
But we will see where he ends up.
The Currie Cup is going to be interesting, looking forward to the young talent it un-earths..
@lloyd (Comment 16) :
I’d say they don’t necessarily rush them… just that many of the very talented players sit and rot behind players of similar ability, when they could be starting elsewhere and making a name for themselves.
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 3) :read Hans Coetzee’s comments and tell me if the rules have changed? 😕
Lions sign top schoolboy stars
This entry was posted on Friday, October 9th, 2009
SA Schools players JP du Plessis and Siya Kolisi will play their rugby in Johannesburg from next year.
Du Plessis, who played centre for Paul Roos, was in danger of being lost to South African rugby after he was approached by Australian rugby league side Sydney Roosters in April. He will still go on a trial with the club in December, but it is likely he will return.
‘JP has signed with us as he has an escape clause with the Roosters,’ Lions coach Hans Coetzee told keo.co.za. ‘He’ll go over and make a decision after a month in Sydney.’
Du Plessis’ father Charl played fullback for Transvaal and is a current skills coach at the union – a factor that should see him return to South Africa in 2010.
Kolisi has represented SA Schools for two years and was the standout loose-forward at Craven Week, despite representing an under-performing EP side. Kolisi had originally signed with the Cheetahs, but the Bloemfontein-outfit’s contract was invalid.
‘We had showed an interest in Siya last year already and had approached him before anyone else,’ said Coetzee, the former manager of talent identification at the union before he took up the post of Currie Cup coach. ‘He was always interested in coming to us, but an agent from the Cheetahs asked me if we had contacted Siya, and I told him we had.
‘Then they tried to sign him, but at that stage he was only 17, so it was not valid.’
The Lions have gone beyond their borders to secure some exciting talent, which will be invaluable in future years.
‘In the past, I’m not sure how things were done, but now we are slowly but surely bringing better guys here,’ said Coetzee.
Along with the pair, the Lions have also kept Monument star Jaco Taute – who made his debut for the Lions’ senior side in the Currie Cup while still at school.
@Megatron (Comment 19) :
You’re a friggen rugby library!!
Put it to some good use dammit!
@Megatron (Comment 19) :
What do you mean ‘have the rules changed’?
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 21) :
Regarding signing of 17 year olds… since they say that he was already signed last year and all!
Oh I see now..
I am not sure whether there is a rule against the signing of minors, as far as logic goes, it makes sense that a contract signed by a minor is invalid..
Begs the question, has Pollard signed anything, or is it more of a gentleman’s agreement..
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 23) :
Last week, he said he hadn’t made a decision but felt comfortable with WP…
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 21) : is a contract signed with a minor “17yr old” legally valid?
how old was Pollard last year?
@Megatron (Comment 25) :
No it is not, unless he is an Emancipated minor..
And as far as I can tell, he was 17 years old last year..
@Pokkel (Comment 20) : what does than mean?
@Megatron (Comment 27) :
Write some insightful articles.
What’d I tell you:
http://www.thestormers.com/article.asp?id=1440781
Can’t trust some of these journalists hey.
@hendrikp (Comment 14) :
You’re forgetting about Leyds??
I also rate him much higher than Swiel.
@wpw (Comment 30) :
Pulling my leg I see.
Can we start worrying about the next scrumhalf in SA?
We’ve got Goosen, Lambie(FB, FH, IC, TH etc. 😀 ), Jantjies, and Pollard for FH.
SH we have….. ❓
@FireTheLooser (Comment 32) :
Please stick to the topic at hand… 😈 😆
@Megatron (Comment 19) :
Sorry i have a slightly OT question . Do you know Siya Kolisi ended up playing for Province and not for the Lions ? Province counter offered ?
Money is always the facto in anysport like it or nt lol:(
@wpw (Comment 33) : mislikke ou ding 😀
@Pokkel (Comment 28) : ok 😀 will try
goodbye handre. Hope the Brutes dont brake you like Sadie, Daniller, Rossouw de Klerk and lately Christopher Bosch.
@PaarlBok (Comment 38) : Well if you are saying goodbye to him then I think its fair to say that he is going. Klaar.
@Salmonoid (Comment 39) : he is going.
WP are still trying to find out how to close the stable door.
@robdylan (Comment 40) : So Frans Steyn still going to the Cheetahs? 😈 😆
Not a very wise decision from Pollard imo. He would have been better off staying in the Cape.
@Ben (Comment 41) : any fool can figure out what’s happening after it’s already happened 🙂
@robdylan (Comment 43) : Nah, I told you he would never go to the Cheetahs.
Both u20 scrumhalves were crap so scrumhalf could be a problem in future
Handre did not sign with the bulls, just another stront storie. First hand knowledge uit Matieland!!!
Ok, just a few things here:
1. A player can sign a junior contract at age 16, provided a parent/guardian co-signs
2. Handre will only make a decision after Craven Week
3. WP have to be given an option to match any offer the Bulls make, provided that Handre is willing to talk with them (which Pollard Snr has stated they are)
4. To say that the Cheetahs is not an option is ridiculous. They should indeed be the front runners…
5. The Cheetahs & Stormers have 1 thing in common: They have no idea who their backup flyhalf is. In Super Rugby, you need 2 class players per position, at least
@BoerSeun (Comment 46) : Matieland you say, I stay in Paarl and played rugby with his dad.
@Rob: ran into Scoonbee (big Boet) at Paarl Gym. He is playing in France and your one in NZ these days.
@PaarlBok (Comment 48) : so what does his dad say? I stay in stellenbosch, and my info is but limited to what the province couches say…any update then on Pollard?
Sorry Coaches
@BoerSeun (Comment 49) : As a BoerSeun I think you are good with BoerSomme: Louis Koen Paarl Gyms head of Sport and Bok kicking coach + SlapTjips Brutes Backline Coach + Serfontein Sa U20 12 + Small Smith SA U20 13 = Brutes.
@PaarlBok (Comment 51) : wat beteken dit nou? Kyk man, ek vat jou nie aan nie! So as jy ander info het asb deel dit dan-my punt was net, officially is daar niks vas gemaak wat gedeel is met die Wp of Matie kant nie. Jy gaan nou aan oor Gim soos ‘n ou wat langs die pad hoofseun was. Pieter (slap chips) sy broer en Louis het my afgerig. So as ek nou regtig moeite doen kan ek ook uitvind. Maar ek het verstaan jyt ‘inside info’. He’ll my Pa het 16 games vir die Bulle gespeel dit maak my nie ‘n kenner op alle sake wat nou aan die gang is in die Bulle Kamp nie. Matieland, ja ek bly al 10jaar hier maar eks ‘n shark in murg en been. Ek weet ongelukkig as gevolg hiervan wat aan gaan in wp land. So aangesien jy nou ‘n Paarl kenner is wat saam sy pa gespeel het en julle Gimmies mos nou weet wat aan gaan in die wereld en die res van ons verstaan nie, weet jy of Pollard iets vasgemaak het officially met die Bulle?
Bulls officially confirmed the signing today
@BoerSeun (Comment 52) : Boer Klong hoop jy het dit nou offisieel.