{"id":36854,"date":"2024-11-29T11:19:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-29T09:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/?p=36854"},"modified":"2024-11-29T11:19:00","modified_gmt":"2024-11-29T09:19:00","slug":"love-rugby-and-resilience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/blog\/2024\/11\/29\/love-rugby-and-resilience\/","title":{"rendered":"Love, Rugby and Resilience"},"content":{"rendered":"

For Sharks rugby player Lionel Cronje and his wife Teagan, Christmas is a celebration of family \u2013 something they are both profoundly grateful for.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Down-to-earth and warm, the Cronjes are the sweetest family. On meeting them, it\u2019s clear that Jordan (2) and Brooklyn (18 months) are the centre of their parents\u2019 world. Teagan and Lionel\u2019s story began in Queenstown in the Eastern Cape, where they both grew up. They met for the first time when they were 11 years old, and shared their first kiss in high school. But it wasn\u2019t romance that kept them close back then, but a true friendship. They were inseparable, with Lionel, a boarder, often spending weekends at Teagan\u2019s home. Years later when they were both living in Bloemfontein, they reconnected, rekindling their friendship into something deeper.<\/p>\n

THE RUGBY ROLLER COASTER<\/strong>
\nLionel\u2019s journey as a professional rugby player has been nothing short of an adventure. Starting his career with the Cheetahs, Lionel\u2019s contract and commitments took him around South Africa and overseas. From the Bulls and Lions in South Africa to the Brumbies in Australia, and eventually to Japan\u2019s rugby circuit, the couple often faced long-distance challenges.
\nEach move was exciting yet demanding, especially when it came to putting down roots. Japan, where they lived for five years, turned out to be a pivotal chapter in their lives. Living in Nagoya, Teagan took up teaching at an international school, immersing herself in Japanese culture while Lionel pursued his rugby career. Reflecting on their time there, Teagan says, \u201cIt was honestly the most incredible five years of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n