Of all the things he values in life, being the best father he can be to his two boys is by far the most important to former professional rugby player and North Coast property expert, Pat Lambie.
As he gently coaxes his toddler awake with a cup of tea and a cuddle to ready him for our photo shoot, it’s clear that Pat is a patient, hands-on dad who is very close to his two young boys. We sat down for a chat with him to find out about his journey into fatherhood and life on the North Coast.
Tell us a bit about your earlier years and meeting your wife.
“Kate and I actually met at a high school dance when we were 15 years old. We dated in school and went to one another’s matric dances. We’ve been married for almost 10 years now. We lived in Durban North while I was playing for the Sharks, and then went to Paris for two years, from 2017 to 2019, while I played over there. We absolutely loved that experience and completely immersed ourselves into the culture and embraced the lifestyle, even though it was so completely different to what we were used to. We had so many friends and family visit us over that period, we felt like we were running an Airbnb!
Why did you decide to relocate to the North Coast after your rugby career came to an end?
“We had planned to stay in Paris for four or five years, but only ended up staying two because I was forced to stop playing because of injury. It was very hard to give it up but, based on the advice I received from medical professionals and my history with head injuries, it was a ‘no-brainer’ – no pun intended. We thought about staying in France or living in the UK (we want our boys to have British passports, like I do), but with a baby on the way, we knew we wanted to be closer to our families. We moved home when Jackson was six weeks old. Our parents were already living on the North Coast, so it was the obvious choice for us, too. Our second son, Sam, arrived 15 months later. Suffice it to say, it’s been a busy few years. We’ve moved countries, had two children, got dogs, renovated two houses (and are now building a home), and I changed careers.
How did you end up in the property industry and what has the experience been like?
“My dad has been in property my entire life. He owns a commercial and industrial property broking business, and property was always part of our dinnertime conversations. I did a bit of work experience with Collins Residential while I was playing for the Sharks and when we moved home, Murray Collins was the first and only person I phoned. He welcomed me with open arms. I am now the sales and project coordinator for our residential developments, including Seaton, Zululami, Lalela, Emberton and Mount Edgecombe Retirement Village. It’s been great working for this family-run, fourth generation business. There is nothing corporate about it at all and there is no micro-management. We all just get on with our jobs. Being in this environment definitely made the transition from professional sport to business much easier. It has afforded me the opportunity to see first-hand how the entire property development cycle works, while allowing me to still be present with my family.
Being a present dad is clearly very important to you?
“Fatherhood has been the most rewarding experience of my life – which I didn’t actually expect. I was never really comfortable around small kids, until I had my own. Kate is a teacher and has always been a natural with children, but I was always a little unsure. That’s obviously changed now. The boys are very close in age and Sam is only two-and-a-half, so things are busy in the Lambie household. I have a brother who is 18 months older than me, so I understand the brother dynamic and I’m starting to see the bond between our boys grow and develop. I love being involved, from breakfast in the morning to play time, bath time, story time and bed time. My career is important and I am very driven and motivated to be a successful businessman – but I am more motivated to spend as much time, energy and resources as possible to being there for my boys so they can become the best humans they can possibly be
Tell us about your life on the North Coast? Do you miss playing professional rugby?
We are building a home at Seaton Estate. We were the first homeowners to start building and are documenting the process step-by-step to help future buyers going through the same process. I love the coordination side of things and the design part was really fun. Our architect, Lisa Rorich, nailed our design brief to a tee. We love everything the estate offers, especially the beach access to arguably one of the most beautiful beaches on this coastline, which is great for the kids and dogs and great for surfing. I also can’t wait to see the sport facilities, which are going to be incredible. When it comes to rugby, I do miss certain things … like the thrill of being in a high-performance environment and getting fitter and stronger every week. I miss being paid to be healthy and strong. There is a lot I don’t miss though, like the injuries, the politics and always being in the spotlight. Now that I am a father, I can’t imagine spending so much time away from my family. I struggle to spend one night away from my boys. I am grateful that my rugby life was before I had a family. I’ve started a whole new life now, and I am loving every minute of it.”
Photographs: Chris Allan Photo
Text: Leah Shone
