Height 1.89 m (6 ft 2 ⁄2 in) School Hoërskool Montana | Weight 97 kg (15 st 4 lb) Current team Boland Cavaliers | |
Date of birth (1995-04-29) 29 April 1995 (age 21) Place of birth Worcester, South Africa | ||
Kenan Cronjé (born (1995-04-29)29 April 1995) is a South African rugby union player, currently playing with the Boland Cavaliers. He is a regular position is flanker or lock.
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2014: Boland Under-19
Cronjé was born in Worcester. While he never represented his local Boland Cavaliers team at youth weeks while at schoolboy level, he linked up with their Under-19 team for the 2014 Under-19 Provincial Championship. He started five of their seven matches during the regular season in Group B of the competition, helping Boland finish in second position, losing just a single match. Cronjé helped Boland to a 35–30 victory over Limpopo Blue Bulls U19 by starting in their semi-final clash, and also started the final against the Falcons U19s, as Boland clinched the title by winning 42–17 in Welkom. A week later, he also started their promotion play-off match against Leopards U19, but the team fell short, losing 33–53 to remain in Group B.
2015–present: Boland Cavaliers and Under-21
Cronjé progressed to Under-21 level in 2015, but after making just two appearances in the 2015 Under-21 Provincial Championship, he was called into the Boland Cavaliers first team for their opening match of the 2015 Currie Cup First Division competition, against the Griffons in Welkom. He came on for the final quarter of an hour of the match, and scored his first senior try within 12 minutes of hiw senior bow, a 78th minute consolation in a 24–62 defeat. After another appearance as a replacement the following weekend against the Leopards, Cronjé was elevated to the starting lineup for their next match against the Falcons in Kempton, as well as their match against SWD Eagles a week later, with Cronjé scoring the second try of his career just before the hour mark in a 14–57 defeat. One more appearance off the bench against the Border Bulldogs completed a miserable season for a Boland team that finished second-bottom on the log. Cronjé rejoined the Under-21s, playing off the bench in their final match of the regular season against Border U21 – in a 101–19 win – and starting their 15–19 semi-final defeat to SWD U21.
Cronjé remained in the first team throughout 2016. He made eight appearances in the Boland Cavaliers' Currie Cup qualification campaign, scoring a try in their 110–10 victory over Namibian side the Welwitschias to help the team finish in third position to qualify for the Currie Cup Premier Division for the first time since 2009. He made his Currie Cup Premier Division debut in August 2016, starting their opening round defeat to the Free State Cheetahs. He remained in the starting lineup for their next match against the Eastern Province Kings, and scored his first try at this level in a 28–10 victory. The return from injury of Shaun Adendorff saw Cronjé demoted down the pecking order, making three appearances as a replacement and even playing for amateur club side Villagers Worcester in their 2016 SARU Gold Cup match against Welkom Rovers, but he returned to the starting lineup for their penultimate match of the season against the Blue Bulls as the Boland Cavaliers finished the season in seventh place.