REPORT: Pollard's big-money decision

NEWS: Springbok flyhalf Handre Pollard will soon be unveiled as a Leicester Tigers player, according to reports coming out of the United Kingdom.

Pollard has been with French club Montpellier since 2019. However, his contract is set to come to end when the current European season is over.

According to the Rolling Maul podcast, his move to the Tigers is a "done deal" and it will be finalised this week.

Pollard was reportedly offered more money by a Japanese club, but he turned it down.

"The word on the street, if you wish to believe it, is that Pollard is a done deal and we will be announcing him either Wednesday or Thursday this week and I've had that from two different sources," said Rolling Maul co-presenter Elliot Butlin.

"The two people who have advised me that it's happening are pretty trustworthy guys, they're not someone to billy bulls**t on this sort of stuff. If they've heard a whisper themselves, I trust them if they think there's enough truth in it to do it and it's not just mindless gossip.

"The proof is in the pudding, we will have to keep our eyes open to see if it happens this week, if the rumours are to be believed, we are signing Pollard on Wednesday or Thursday this week. Salary for about £600k [ZAR 12.6 million], which is considerably less than what Japan was offering, which was £1m, so he's coming not for the money but for the project.

"Apparently the presentation that was given to him by {Leicester head coach] Steve [Borthwick] and the club is what sold it to him, he was really impressed by what we were saying and he's buying into the project and the journey, so to speak, we are embarking on."

Additional source: leicestermercury.co.uk