Prescription for successful life

SUCH was the juggle between his professional rugby career and his actual day job that the much-decorated former Springbok and Lions lock Hannes Strydom couldn't wait to rip his boots off for the last time.

"I was half relieved when I stopped playing in 2001. I never moved from Pretoria and was commuting to Johannesburg every day, sometimes twice a day," Strydom recalled.

The strapping pharmacist's career straddled the amateur and professional era and he, perhaps more than most of his peers, was able to make a seamless transition to rugby's afterlife.

"I never exclusively played rugby. I always had a full-time job. Life after rugby has become even more important because players' careers are shorter. The collisions are just so much more brutal. You have to make the most of that window of opportunity," he said.

With his focus fully trained on his business, it soon boomed. "I started with one but now I own five pharmacies around Pretoria under the Pharmavalu brand. My staff tallies around 250 people. I still practice as a pharmacist, so between running the pharmacies and dispensing, my days are rather full."

Strydom also developed a range of health, sport and nutritional supplements.

"Health and Nutritional Supplements (HNS) is the other arm of my business and it is doing well. I'm proud of how the business has grown," said Strydom.

He is equally passionate about his family. "My daughter Annelie, 18, has played for SA's under-18 netball team, Hannes junior, 13, is a good hurdler and plays wing. He will go to Affies. Lucy, 11, also plays netball but does well in other sports," said proud dad.

Strydom was this week inadvertently thrust back into the limelight in the buildup to the Currie Cup final. He was the last Lions captain to have hoisted the trophy when they won in 1999 and he was asked to hand out the team's jerseys on Friday.

"What was striking was how well we stuck together as a team," he said of the 1999 triumph. "To win in Durban in the farewell match for Gary Teichmann, Ian McIntosh and Andre Joubert was huge. The capacity crowd was against us and nobody gave us a chance. " he said.

As bitter as his test debut defeat against France was in 1993, the Springboks' 61-22 demolition of the Wallabies at Loftus in his final test four years later was as sweet.

His most abiding memories however are from 1993. "We (Transvaal) won everything. We won the Super 10, the Currie Cup and the Lion Cup." His test debut helped make it a memorable year.

Strydom, 46, tries to get to the gym five times a week. "When I played I weighed 115kg, now I weigh 118kg.

"I just want to be the best dad and a wonderful husband. Being a family man is one of my strengths. It's great to have such a stable life."