Percy Montgomery
Record-holding Springbok fullback and 2007 World Cup winner.
Percy Montgomery is a South African former professional rugby union player. He was born on 15 March 1974 in Walvis Bay, present-day Namibia. He attended South African College Schools in Cape Town. When he ended his international career in August 2008, he held the all-time records for both caps and points for South Africa's national team. He is one of the greatest fullbacks of all time. He played for Western Province, the Stormers, Newport RFC, the Newport Gwent Dragons, the Sharks, and USA Perpignan during his career.
- Position
- Centre / Fullback
- International Tries
- 25
- Major Honours
- 2007 Rugby World Cup Winner
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Montgomery earned his first Springbok cap against the British & Irish Lions in July 1997 as an outside centre. He played at the 1999 Rugby World Cup finals and had amassed 50 caps by the end of 2001. His Springbok career stalled after his move to Wales, since at that time players were only eligible for Springboks selection if they were playing domestically. After a change in policy, he was recalled by new coach Jake White in 2004. He was the leading points scorer in the Tri Nations in 2004 and 2005. On 17 June 2006 against Scotland, he became the first Springbok player to reach 600 points in his Test career, and on 9 June 2007 he passed the 700-point mark against Manu Samoa. On 14 September 2007, Montgomery reached two major milestones in the Springboks' second 2007 World Cup pool match against England. He became the first Springbok to score 800 Test points and equalled Joost van der Westhuizen as the most-capped Springbok with his 89th appearance. He took sole possession of the Springboks caps record on 22 September against Tonga. He was the leading point scorer in the 2007 Rugby World Cup, playing a key role in the Boks' successful march to the Webb Ellis Cup. Montgomery's 893 Test points are well over 250 points more than the player in second place on the all-time Springboks points list, Naas Botha. Montgomery became the first Springbok to earn 100 caps, being awarded a gold cap after their game against the All Blacks in Cape Town, losing 19–0.
In Their Own Story
On 13 May 2003 while playing for Newport, Montgomery was sent off for pushing a touch judge to the ground, and was later heavily fined and given a two-year ban, with 18 months suspended, for the offence of 'assaulting a match official'. He consequently missed the 2003 Rugby World Cup and returned to play in Wales in early December 2003. He left Wales to join the Sharks for the 2006 Super 14 season where he played fullback. For the 2007–08 season, he signed for the French Top 14 club USA Perpignan and moved to France after the World Cup. In May 2008, he was signed by coach Rassie Erasmus to return to Western Province after completing his commitments with the Springboks. He was contracted to play for Province in the Currie Cup and the Stormers in the Super 14 to 2009. Montgomery announced his retirement from international test rugby on 30 August 2008, after the Springboks beat Australia 53–8 in their last game of the 2008 Tri-Nations. In May 2009, he rejoined the Boks as the team's kicking consultant in the run-up to the British & Irish Lions' tour of South Africa. Shortly after, he confirmed his retirement as a player, indicating that he had planned to end his playing career at the end of the 2009 Super 14 season.
Reader's Guide
Percy Montgomery played the early part of his South African domestic career for Western Province in the Currie Cup and the Stormers in Super Rugby. He moved to Wales in 2002 to join Newport RFC, and joined the Newport Gwent Dragons after the 2003 reorganisation of Welsh rugby into a regional setup. At the end of the 2004–05 Celtic League season, he returned to play in South Africa for the Sharks in the Currie Cup and the Sharks in Super Rugby. He later spent the 2007–08 Northern Hemisphere season in the French Top 14 competition with Perpignan before returning to South Africa in June 2008. He then played for Western Province and the Stormers before ending his playing career in May 2009. His honours include Currie Cup titles with Western Province in 1997, 2000, and 2001; Super Rugby runners-up with the Sharks in 2007; the World Cup with South Africa in 2007; and Tri Nations titles in 1998 and 2004.
Did You Know?
- Montgomery was born in Walvis Bay, which is in present-day Namibia.
- He was sent off in 2003 for pushing a touch judge and received a 12-week ban.
- He became the first Springbok to score 800 Test points on 14 September 2007.
- Montgomery's 893 Test points are well over 250 points more than second-place Naas Botha's 312.
- He became the first Springbok to earn 100 caps, receiving a gold cap after a 19-0 loss to the All Blacks.