Percy Montgomery Biography

One of the most capped Springboks of all time, Percy Montgomery had an excellent kicking boot and an incredible burst of pace.

As a backline player, he relished a dash as much as he enjoyed slotting one in between the sticks. The Springbok is a man of many talents. It’s no surprise then that he holds the record for one of the highest Test scores in a rugby career.

Since his days at South African College Schools, the versatile backline player has enjoyed the game of rugby. Percy Montgomery started his professional career at Western Province in 1996, playing in the Currie Cup as well as Super Rugby.

His talent made him no stranger to the praise and adoration of the crowd. The utility back assisted his team to three Currie Cup trophies during his tenure there.

In 1997, Percy Montgomery got called to play his first game for the Springboks against the British & Irish Lions. His incredible kicking prowess saw him win 50 caps for South Africa before 2002.

His skill with his boot drew him to the northern territories, where he spent time playing for the Welsh side, Newport Dragons, before moving onto the French scene playing for Perpignan.

When he moved abroad, he temporarily ended his Springbok career as policy back in the day prevented players outside South Africa playing in Springbok Tests. After the policy change, he was once again called up in 2004, for the Springbok renaissance.

That year, the Springboks won the Tri-Nations (now The Rugby Championship) and Percy Montgomery was the leading point scorer in the tournament and backed it up by achieving the same feat the following year. 

During the 2007 Rugby World Cup, the kicking maestro passed his 800th Test point mark and went on to be the top scorer in the competition. His boot would prove to be vital for their campaign. 

After the World Cup, he would return home to play for the Sharks then the Stormers once more. His final Test match was against Australia in the Tri-Nations, beating the Wallabies 53 - 8.

The Springbok icon has garnered a host of records in South African rugby, some of which he may maintain forever.

His skill as a backline player set a high standard for what future generations could do. Never afraid to take the direct route to the posts, whether it be running or kicking. Either way, Percy Montgomery was getting the ball over that line.