george kruis.

GEORGE’S STORY.

Respected by his coaches and teammates as a figure to rely upon, George Kruis is an experienced England international who has earned 45 caps and was a key member of the England team which reached the 2019 Rugby World Cup final. The 6ft 6in lock was also an integral part of the Saracens team which dominated domestic and European rugby between 2015 and 2019, winning four Premiership titles and three European Champions Cups. He most recently played for Panasonic Wild Knights in Japan, where he won the 2021 Top League title.

Despite his success, Kruis always recognised the importance of expanding his horizons and planning for the future. He completed a degree in business administration in 2004 and spent many years working with the Rugby Players’ Association and England Players’ Board, encouraging his fellow athletes to diversify their interests, plan ahead for retirement, and invest their finances wisely. Having seen many teammates retire early due to injury, he knows that sport can give you everything, then quickly take it away. This desire to invest in his future inspired him to co-found a CBD and wellbeing business with fellow Haydart investor Dominic Day which is called Fourfive. Their products are now sold in Boots and they have raised over £1 million in investment.   

George’s desire to invest his income is what led him into the real estate business with Haydart. He believes athletes need to give themselves as many options as possible to prepare for their eventual transition into retirement, and real estate offers the ideal combination of security and steady growth which athletes are looking for. Acutely aware of how busy athletes are with training and events, he believes Haydart’s co-investment package offers the ideal solution. As the Haydart team manages all investments, co-investors are free to focus on their other priorities in sport and business, while enjoying a reliable additional source of income. 

His own experience of buying rental properties taught him that solo investments can be stressful and time-consuming but Haydart offers a comprehensive co-investment service which will appeal to ambitious but busy athletes who want to invest in property without the day-to-day time commitments. This provides the simple, streamlined services many athletes are looking for.

Off the pitch, George has become a highly regarded public speaker specialising in topics such as planning and leadership, and he is now as comfortable having conversations with lawyers and property investors as he is with fly-halves and no.8s. He is proud of the friendly business philosophy of Haydart, where athletes, lawyers, business figures and property experts routinely draw on each other’s expertise to discuss new ideas. Having successfully made the move into real estate investment, he is keen to encourage fellow athletes to join him as a co-investor at Haydart.