Percy Montgomery

Infobox Rugby biography
name = Percy Montgomery


caption =
birthname = Percival Colin Montgomery
nickname = Monty
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1974|3|15
placeofbirth = Walvis Bay, South Africa
(now Walvis Bay, Namibia)
dateofdeath =
placeofdeath =
height = height|m=1.83
weight = convert|89|kg
ru_position = Fullback, Outside Centre, Fly-Half
ru_amateuryears =
ru_amateurclubs =
ru_amupdate =
ru_nationalteam = South Africa
ru_nationalyears = 1997–2008
ru_nationalcaps = 102
ru_nationalpoints = (893)
ru_ntupdate = 30 August 2008
ru_clubyears = 2002–2005
2003–2005
2007–2008
ru_proclubs = Newport RFC → Dragons
Perpignan
ru_clubcaps = 38
ru_clubpoints = (251)
ru_clubupdate = 30 October 2007
super14 = Stormers
Sharks
Stormers
super14years = 1996–2002
2006-2007
2009-
super14caps = 1
18
super14points = (5)
(183)
ru_currentclub =
super14update =
ru_province = Western Province
Natal Sharks
Western Province
ru_provinceyears = 1996-2002
2005-2007
2008-
ru_provincecaps = ?
4
ru_provincepoints = (?)
(44)
ru_provinceupdate = 27 April 2007
ru_sevensnationalyears =
ru_sevensnationalteam =
ru_sevensnationalcomp =
ru_sevensupdate =
ru_coachclubs =
ru_coachyears =
ru_coachupdate =
sooyears =
sooteam =
soocaps =
soopoints =
sooupdate =
other = yes
occupation = Professional rugby player
family = Married
spouse = Florencia de la V
children = 2
relatives =
school = South African College Schools, Cape Town
university = Cape Peninsula University of Technology

Percival Colin "Percy" Montgomery (born 15 March 1974 in Walvis Bay, South Africa, now Namibia) is a South African rugby union footballer. He currently plays as a fullback for Western Province in South Africa's main domestic competition, the Currie Cup. When he retired from international rugby in August 2008, he held the all-time records for both caps and points for South Africa's national team, also known as the Springboks. He played the early part of his South African domestic career for Western Province in the Currie Cup and the Stormers in Super Rugby; after a mid-career stint in Wales, he returned to South Africa to play for the Natal 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.

Montgomery showed a great deal more maturity and professionalism during his second stint with the Springbok squad under Jake White. This was exemplified in the 2007 Rugby World Cup Final, when he was illegally pushed into a cameraman behind the try area by England player Toby Flood, and impacted the camera at speed.Fact|date=March 2008 He just shrugged off the pain and continued to play, and later that evening eventually lifted the Webb Ellis Trophy. Montgomery remains a South African media favourite, and he was nominated for numerous media-adjudicated awards in the South African 2007 season.Fact|date=March 2008

Montgomery played for Western Province and the Stormers before moving 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 2004-2005 Northern Hemisphere season, he returned to play in South Africa.

Montgomery earned his first Springbok cap against the British 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. However, 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, and currently holds the record for the most points scored in a career by a Springbok rugby player. On the 17th of June 2006 against Scotland, he became the first Springbok player to reach 600 points in his Test career, and on the 9th of June 2007 he passed the 700-point mark against Manu Samoa.

On the 14th of September 2007, Montgomery reached two major milestones in the Boks' second 2007 Rugby World Cup pool match against England. He became the first Springbok to score 800 Test points and, more significantly, he equalled Joost van der Westhuizen as the most-capped Springbok with his 89th appearance. He took sole possession of the Springboks caps record on 22nd 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 878 Test points give him well over twice as many points as the player in second place on the all-time Springboks points list, Naas Botha, who played in only 28 Tests compared to Montgomery's 95, since most of his prime years were in South Africa's era of isolation from world rugby.

On the 13th of 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". [Wyn Griffiths: "Rugby Union: Montgomery suspended for pushing touch judge." "The Independent", London, Jun 4, 2003.] He consequently missed the 2003 Rugby World Cup and returned to play in Wales in early December 2003. [ [http://www.ercrugby.co.uk/eng/5018_3012.php "Montgomery Returns."] "European Rugby Cup" website, 5 December 2003.]

The Australian Fox TV show "Inside Rugby" gives a weekly award entitled 'The Percy' to the player who makes the worst play on the field during that week's rugby.Fact|date=March 2008 This is a reference to Percy's somewhat enigmatic and erratic early career where he could do something brilliant and then something woeful in the same match.Fact|date=March 2008 There is also an 'anti-Percy' award for the best play, an award the man himself has even taken. It is somewhat tongue-in-cheek that almost all Australian rugby fans acknowledge he has proven himself a fine footballer.Fact|date=March 2008 South African supporters are generally less forgiving.Fact|date=March 2008

He left Wales to join the Sharks for the 2006 Super 14 where he played fullback.

For the 2007-2008 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 is contracted to play for Province in the Currie Cup and the Stormers in the Super 14 until 2009. [ [http://www.thetimes.co.za/Sport/Article.aspx?id=775774 "WP sign Montgomery."] ]

Montgomery recently received his 100th cap for South Africa, being awarded a gold cap after their game against the All Blacks in Cape Town, losing 19-0. [ [http://www.stuff.co.nz/4659472a1823.html "Lauding a win for all reasons"] ]

Percy Montgomery announced his retirement from international test rugby on August 30th, 2008, after the Springboks hammered Australia 53-8 in their last game of the 2008 Tri-Nations. [ [http://www.stuff.co.nz/4675558a10295.html Percy Montgomery retires] ]

References

External links

*Springboks|id=18405|name=Percy Montgomery
* [http://www.sharksrugby.co.za/default.asp?cId=12225&des=content&cl=yes Sharks profile]
* [http://www.sporting-heroes.net/rugby-heroes/searchresults.asp?ButtonLe
]