Hands off Handre! Outrage after Pollard is booed at UK club

South Africans have been left fuming after three Springboks, Jean Kleyn, Jasper Wiese and Handre Pollard, who play at UK clubs Munster and Leicester Tigers respectively, were discriminated against after their Rugby World Cup performances.

The players returned to their teams in Ireland and England less than a fortnight after SA lifted the Webb Ellis trophy in France.

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JEAN KLEYN, HANDRE POLLARD RETURN TO UK TEAMS

After representing Ireland at the 2019 Rugby World Cup, thanks to a residency, Jean Kleyn switched sides by opting to play for SA in 2023.

As previously reported by The South African, Kleyn has since been deemed ineligible to play for his adoptive country after being designated as a non-Irish qualified (NIQ) player.

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According to reports, his contract with Munster will not be renewed at the end of the year.

Meanwhile, Handre Pollard and Jasper Wiese did not receive a hero’s welcome as they rightfully deserved at their club at Leicester Tigers, this week. Instead, both were booed by the crowd and also by his teammates, according to The Telegraph.

Twenty-nine-year-old Pollard helped SA beat England in the semi-final, to the dismay of many of his UK teammates.

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He told the publication: “I got a few boos. It’s painful [for the England players], of course. I’ve been there. I’ve lost in a World Cup semi-final before. It stays with you the rest of your life”.

Pollard added that much of the discontentment came from his England teammates Freddie Steward, George Martin, Dan Cole, and Ollie Chessum.

SOUTH AFRICANS ENRAGED

On social media, many South Africans have expressed anger that Springbok players were disrespected on and off the pitch.

Here’s how a few reacted to the news in a TikTok video:

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@mamqoma_“Hands off, Handre Pollard! We couldn’t have won the World Cup without him”.

@vuyisalubhelwana: “South African rugby players must know they are loved back home.”

@precious_reads: “So sportsmanship in England is dead?”

@alexisbender337: “All the teams are salty. It was definitely not a joke.”

@japie_venter I don't think its a very good "joke" to make….. what do you guys think? #viral #leciestertigers #england #rugby #rugbynews #springboks #handrepollard #rugbytok #rugbyworldcup #greenscreen ♬ original sound – Japie_Venter