Leicester Tigers playmaker Handre Pollard has revealed that the inclusion of South African teams in European tournaments was one of the reasons he decided to return to his former club, the Bulls.

Pollard, who was the Springboks’ first choice fly-half when they won Rugby World Cup titles in 2019 in 2023, is set to rejoin the Pretoria-based outfit after spending three years at the Tigers.

The 31-year-old started his career with the Bulls at Super Rugby level in 2014 and before leaving them in 2019 to join Top 14 heavyweights Montpellier.

The Bulls – along with fellow South African franchises the Lions, Sharks and Stormers – joined the United Rugby Championship (URC) during the 2021/22 campaign before they were also added to the European Champions and Challenge Cup competitions the following season.

Happy to see South African teams in European competitions

With his countrymen also in action in Europe and his desire to be close to his family in South Africa, it was an easy choice for Pollard when he had the opportunity to return to the Bulls.

“Just being able to go back home is something I actually didn’t think was possible,” he told BBC Radio Leicester.

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“But how things have changed in the last few years with South African teams playing in the URC and being able to play in the Champions Cup whilst being in South Africa was something I’d never seen in my [early] career, but the opportunity is there now.”

Played a big role in Springboks’ back-to-back World Cup triumphs

Pollard was a vital cog in South Africa’s recent back-to-back World Cup triumphs and his accurate goal-kicking played a crucial role when they lifted the Webb Ellis Cup in France in 2023.

Despite his success in the international arena with the Springboks, he is yet to lift a trophy with Leicester Tigers but is hoping to do just that in this year’s Investec Champions Cup.

The Tigers are facing Glasgow Warriors at Scotstoun in a round-of-16 clash on Saturday and Pollard admitted he is keen to help his club claim silverware before he leaves them.

“I’ve had the most amazing time abroad. I fell in love with Leicester and it’s been an unbelievable experience and I’ll miss it one day, for sure,” Pollard replied, when asked how he might look back at his time with the Tigers.

“But there’s still quite a lot to do, isn’t there? There’s a few big games to play.”

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Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/handre-pollard-admits-bulls-opportunity-too-good-to-turn-down-after-unbelievable-leicester-tigers-experience