Handré Pollard has opened up on the demands of a near year-round rugby calendar.
Many Springboks play virtually all 12 months of the year, with South Africa the only country competing in both hemispheres.
Those players participate in their European domestic league and EPCR cup competitions, and then also in the Rugby Championship, which will not take place in 2026 due to the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour.
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World Rugby has acknowledged the issue and is seriously looking at a global calendar to help reduce the demands on top-level players.
Pollard, who returned to Loftus Versfeld in 2025 after several years abroad, said adapting to the grind of a 12-month season has become part of the job.
“It’s tough,” the Springbok flyhalf admitted. “You’ve got to plan your life, physically, mentally and on a personal level, to make sure you’re in a good space.
“In the old days of Super Rugby, you had a big two to three-month break over December and January when you completely switched off and mentally refreshed and then came back again.
“Now you’ve got to really plan your life months ahead and make sure you give yourself time to switch off.
“You’ve got to give your body time whenever you can to recover, or work on stuff that you have to work on.
“It’s not easy, but it’s our new normal now. We’ve had a few years of this now, so we’ve all adjusted to it pretty well.
“But I don’t think you can be on it 12 months straight. That is a bit tough, but you just try and find balance wherever you can to make sure that when Saturday comes, you can perform as best you can.”
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Pollard, however, has no issue with the pressure that comes with his role, particularly goal-kicking in clutch moments.
“That’s what you live for as a flyhalf,” he said. “Those are the moments you dream about as a kid.”
“The pressure of kicking for goal is part and parcel of it. It can be a burden and rest heavy on your shoulders if you allow it.
“But I told myself from day one, from when I was very young, I want that responsibility as a flyhalf.
“You don’t kick the ball in the backyard and say this kick is for your team to go 20 points up. You say this is the kick for the big match and that is the stuff you dream about. I enjoy it tremendously.
“You must be realistic with yourself that it is not always going to go come off.
“But if you have made peace with that in your heart and mind, and that you are going to do your best and what will be will be, then you can enjoy the moment.”
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Photo: Anton Geyser/Gallo Images
The post Pollard adapts to 12-month grind appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
