Ross Cronjé commits to Lions

Editor

Lions scrum-half Ross Cronjé has put pen to paper on a two-year contract extension to stay at the Super Rugby side until the end of 2020.

Cronjé confirmed the news on Tuesday as he goes against the recent tide of players leaving the country for the lure of overseas rewards.

“I’ve signed for another two years with the Lions. I absolutely love it in Johannesburg; my family is here, the bush is around the corner, the sun’s out all day, every day, and the beach is only an hour-long flight away,” he told SARugbymag.

On his decision not to head overseas, Cronjé added: “A rugby career is only so long and you’ve got to make the most of it. However, if you still have a dream of playing in the World Cup and competing against the best, you have to stay here and play Super Rugby, which I believe only improves your game because it is one of the hardest competitions in the world.

“Going overseas sets you up for life after rugby [financially]. A lot of the guys are sad to be leaving, but they are doing it for their families, otherwise they’d be staying here. But at the same time if you are smart enough you can set yourself up while playing professional rugby here too.”