Ex Springbok sets sights on a NFL contract

Former Springbok and Bulls sharpshooter Derick Hougaard has set his sights on an NFL contract as he plots his next career move.

A darling of Loftus, Hougaard was capped 8 times by the Springboks scoring 69 points. In 2008, he left his beloved Bulls to join the Leicester Tigers having won the Currie Cup and Super Rugby title with the side setting multiple records in both competitions.

Hougaard spent one season at the Tigers scoring 47 points in six games before heading to Saracens. He shared in Sarries' Premiership Final defeat in 2010 but bounced back to make an impressive start to the following campaign until an Achilles injury sidelined him for several months.

At the age of 37-year-old, Hougaard has now set his sights on resurrecting his sporting career, this time in the NFL following in former Bulls and Springboks marksman Naas Botha in doing so.

He confirmed the news on Thursday with the former Bok noting the fact that his sporting was cruelly cut short by injury as a driving factor.  He is set to impress as a kicker at a scouting trial next month.

His decision to try out as a punter comes following the establishment of World Wide Scholarships (WWS Africa) by former college football player, Zimbabwe’s Munya Maraire, and ex-Golden Lions high-performance manager, Bart Schoeman. The aim of the organisation is to lure local talent to the USA which would hopefully then lead to a NFL contract.

‘I had a wonderful 14-year career as a rugby player, but when any athlete’s career is cut short by injuries, it’s a matter of unfinished business,’ Hougaard said in a statement.

‘I played rugby all over the world, but to end my career as an American football player in the USA would be an unbelievable victory for me.’

‘All athletes dream of second chances and this is mine. Of course there are no guarantees, but the Covid-19 pandemic taught me not to delay chasing my dreams and to be more proactive in achieving them. I’ve already ordered a full playing kit and I’ve started training to be prepared for the trials later this year.’