What is Springboks legend Percy Montgomery doing these days?

South African players from left, Pieter Muller, Wayne Julies, Kaya Malotana, Breyton Paulse, Deon Kayser, Percy Montgomery and captain Joost Van Der Westhuizen sings the national anthem before their first round match against Spain in the world cup at Murrayfield stadium in Edinburgh , 10 October 1999.
Photo by ODD ANDERSEN / AFP

The Springboks have several candidates for GOAT status, but it’s an impossible debate to settle because of personal preference. Is Percy up there?

Points were Percy’s currency

At the start of his career, Percy Montgomery was known for his flashy, flamboyant skills. However, as he matured and settled into his roles for the Springboks, Sharks, Stormers and clubs abroad, Monty became one of the most dependable players in the world. He was often the first name on the team sheet. A career tally of 102 caps and 893 points for South Africa bears testament. Only six players in history pulled on the green & gold jersey more often than Percival Colin Montgomery. No player amassed more points.

Defensive powerhouse with a superb rugby brain

At his best, Percy was rock-solid as the last defensive line and used his in-game intelligence and tactical smarts to join attacking movements at opportunistic moments. Off the kicking tee, Percy was a metronomic maestro with that abbreviated run-up. 105 of Percy’s points for his country came at the 2007 Rugby World Cup when the Boks beat England in the final. Monty led the individual scoring charts that year. What more can you ask for from a fullback?

Travel makes a player more well-rounded

Percy had stints with Newport and the Dragons in Wales before a short spell with French outfit Perpignan in 2007. Between 2001 and 2008, he was also a valued member of the Barbarians.

Percy is up there with the most capped Springboks

Percy Montgomery was the first Springbok to reach a century of caps. Overall, his tally of 102 appearances places him seventh in the all-time reckoning. Only Eben Etzebeth, Victor Matfield, Bryan Habana, Tendai Mtawarira, John Smit and Jean de Villiers have more. Active players Etzebeth, Pieter-Steph du Toit and skipper Siya Kolisi are the standout candidates to enter the GOAT debate alongside Montgomery, Habana and Matfield. We’ve been spoiled for choice over the years.

What about Percy in 2025?

Percy has started a tequila brand, El Centurion 102, paying homage to his Springbok test cap tally and the fact that he was the first to bring up a century. He lives on the Atlantic seaboard of Cape Town. The author of this article was lucky enough to summit Lion’s Head with the legendary fullback, alongside a bunch of other patriotic South African rugby lovers. This was an informal gathering to drum up support just before the Springboks travelled to Japan to contest the 2019 Rugby World Cup. That ended pretty well. Percy also coached the SA Rugby Legends vs the Portuguese Barbarians in 2022 in Portugal. For a laugh, you know?

Join Percy on Instagram as he continues tackling life’s side quests on his travels, which include saving a dolphin.

Is Percy the greatest Springbok fullback ever?

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