Singer, Nadine, who was in a relationship with Hougaard, has confirmed to Jacaranda FM News that Hougaard was admitted to hospital with respiratory Pneumonia last week.
Known affectionately as the "Liefling of Loftus", Hougaard played over 100 games for the Bulls between 2002 and 2008.
In the 2002 Currie Cup final against the Golden Lions, Hougaard broke Naas Botha's 15-year record for points scored in a Currie Cup final, scoring 26 points, two more than Botha’s record.
He made his test debut for the Springboks during the 2003 Rugby World Cup, when he was 20 years old.
In 2007, Hougaard became the true darling of Loftus, when he scored all of the Bulls' 27 points during a Super 14 se-final against the Crusaders.
Hougaard left South Africa a year later to play for the Leicester Tigers, and in 2009 he signed for Saracens.
He married Afrikaans singer Karlien van Jaarsveld in 2013.
They had two boys, before their divorce in 2015.
