Share

Pollard in amputation fright

Cape Town - Bulls flyhalf Handre Pollard was close to having his arm amputated after complications with his surgery.

The Springbok star decided to have his shoulder injury taken care of while still being sidelined with a knee problem.

But the 22-year-old had to spend an extra five weeks in hospital after his shoulder became badly infected after the surgery, so much so that the doctors told him he may have to have his arm removed.

"There was a possibility, they told me that early on, but luckily we identified it as early as possible, if we had let it go another month or so there was a big chance of that," Pollard told Eye Witness News.

"Everything was sorted quite quickly, there was a possibility of that but fortunately I’ve still got all my limbs and can play some rugby.

"I was lucky that I’m out for the rest of the year with my knee so whatever happened with the shoulder didn’t delay anything too much, it’s not nice, it put me back by a bit and it’s going to make a recovery a couple of months longer but by the end of the day if everything goes well it should be all fine."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1473 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2252 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE