Aphelele Fassi

{{Infobox rugby biography

| name = Aphelele Fassi

| image = Aphelele Fassi 2023.jpg

| caption = Fassi playing for the Sharks in 2023

| fullname = Aphelele Onke Okuhle Fassi

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1998|01|23|df=y}}

| birth_place = King William's Town, South Africa

| height = {{height|m=1.89}}

| weight = {{cvt|92|kg|lb stlb}}

| school = Dale College Boys' High School

| university =

| relatives =

| position = Fullback / Wing

| currentclub = {{Rut|Sharks}} / {{Rut|Sharks (Currie Cup)|CC=y}}

| years1 = 2018

| clubs1 = {{Rut|Sharks XV}}

| apps1 = 8

| points1 = 24

| years2 = 2018–

| clubs2 = {{Rut|Sharks (Currie Cup)|CC=y}}

| apps2 = 18

| points2 = 20

| years3 = 2019–

| clubs3 = {{Rut|Sharks}}

| apps3 = 86

| points3 = 146

| repyears1 = 2021–

| repteam1 = {{nrut|South Africa}}

| repcaps1 = 11

| reppoints1 = 35

| repyears2 = 2022–

| repteam2 = South Africa 'A'

| repcaps2 = 1

| reppoints2 = 5

| clubupdate = 30 March 2024

| repupdate = 28 September 2024

}}

Aphelele Onke Okuhle Fassi (born 23 January 1998) is a South African professional rugby union player for the {{Rut|Sharks}} in the United Rugby Championship and the Currie Cup.{{SA Rugby Player Profile | id=140654 | name=Aphelele Fassi | date=25 August 2018}} His regular position is wing or fullback.

Club career

His professional career began in 2018 with the Natal Sharks in the Currie Cup.{{cite web|access-date=1 August 2022 |date=27 August 2018 |language=en |title=Sharks unearth 'special' youngster in Durban |url=https://www.news24.com/sport/rugby/curriecup/sharks-unearth-special-youngster-in-durban-20180827 |website=www.news24.com}}{{cite web|access-date=1 August 2022 |date=27 August 2018 |language=en |title=A peek at Sharks future |url=https://rugby365.com/tournaments/currie-cup/news-currie-cup/a-peek-at-sharks-future/ |website=rugby365.com}} He was praised for his speed and technique and won the championship in his first season.{{cite web|access-date=1 August 2022 |date=28 May 2019 |language=en |title=Fassi has star power |url=https://www.sarugbymag.co.za/fassi-has-star-power/ |website=www.sarugbymag.co.za}}

International career

In June 2021, Aphelele Fassi was selected for the first time with the Springboks by Jacques Nienaber to prepare for the British Lions' tour of South Africa.{{cite web|access-date=15 July 2021 |date=5 June 2021 |language=en |title=Springboks name Lions series squad laden with World Cup winners, while Fassi, Dweba, Wiese called up |url=https://www.news24.com/sport/rugby/britishandirishlions2021/springboks-to-rely-heavily-on-world-cup-winners-jasper-wiese-completes-meteoric-rise-20210605 |website=www.news24.com}} He gets his first cap on July 2, 2021 against Georgia in Pretoria.{{cite web|access-date=15 July 2021 |date=29 June 2021 |title=L'Afrique du Sud avec 18 champions du monde contre la Géorgie |url=https://www.rugbyrama.fr/rugby/international-l-afrique-du-sud-avec-18-champions-du-monde-contre-la-georgie_sto8395636/story.shtml |website=www.rugbyrama.fr}}{{cite web|access-date=15 July 2021 |date=29 June 2021 |language=en |title=How Aphelele Fassi impressed Bok coach to earn debut after 'close contact' Mapimpi ruled out |url=https://www.news24.com/sport/rugby/britishandirishlions2021/how-aphelele-fassi-impressed-bok-coach-to-earn-debut-after-close-contact-mapimpi-ruled-out-20210629 |website=www.news24.com}} This is his first international try.{{cite web|access-date=15 July 2021 |date=2 July 2021 |language=en |title=Wonder wing Aphelele Fassi cherishes 'visualised' Bok try on Test debut |url=https://www.news24.com/sport/rugby/britishandirishlions2021/wonder-wing-aphelele-fassi-cherishes-visualised-bok-try-on-test-debut-20210702 |website=www.news24.com}} Later that year, he was selected to play in the Rugby Championship and played a match against Argentina, scoring another try.{{cite web|access-date=1 August 2022 |date=14 August 2021 |language=en |title=Nienaber hails 'unbelievably talented' Fassi |url=https://www.sarugbymag.co.za/nienaber-hails-unbelievably-talented-fassi/ |website=www.sarugbymag.co.za}} After this promising first international season, he is elected best young South African player for the year 2021.{{cite web|access-date=1 August 2022 |date=28 January 2022 |language=en |title=Aphelele Fassi: Sharks star searching for consistency after stellar year |url=https://www.planetrugby.com/aphelele-fassi-sharks-star-and-springbok-international-searching-for-consistency-after-stellar-year/ |website=www.planetrugby.com}}

Statistics

Test match record

style="width:25%;" \| Opponent ! abbr="Played" style="width:15px;" \| P ! abbr="Won" style="width:10px;" \| W ! abbr="Drawn" style="width:10px;" \| D ! abbr="Lost" style="width:10px;" \| L ! abbr="Tries" style="width:15px;" \| Try ! abbr="Points" style="width:18px;" \| Pts ! abbr="Won" style="width:15px;" \| %Won
class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;width:75%"
align="left" \| {{ru\|ARG}}	3	2	0	1	4	20	{{#expr:2/3*100 round 2}}
align="left" \| {{ru\|AUS}}	1	1	0	0	1	5	{{#expr:1/1*100 round 2}}\
align="left" \| {{ru\|ENG}}	1	1	0	0	0	0	{{#expr:1/1*100 round 2}}
align="left" \| {{ru\|GEO}}	1	1	0	0	1	5	{{#expr:1/1*100 round 2}}
align="left" \| {{ru\|NZL}}	1	1	0	0	0	0	{{#expr:1/1*100 round 2}}
align="left" \| {{ru\|POR}}	1	1	0	0	0	0	{{#expr:1/1*100 round 2}}
align="left" \| {{ru\|WAL}}	3	2	0	1	1	5	{{#expr:2/3*100 round 2}}
Total \|\| 11 \|\| 9 \|\| 0 \|\| 2 \|\| 7 \|\| 35 \|\|{{#expr:9/11*100 round 2}}

International tries

Try	Opposing team	Location	Venue	Competition	Date	Result	Score
class="wikitable" style="font-size:100%"
1 \|{{ru\|GEO}} \|Pretoria, South Africa \|Loftus Versfeld Stadium \|2021 July tests \|2 July 2021 \|Win \|40–9
2 \|{{ru\|ARG}} \|Gqeberha, South Africa \|Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium \|2021 Rugby Championship \|14 August 2021 \|Win \|32–12
3 \|{{ru\|AUS}} \|Perth, Australia \|Perth Stadium \|2024 Rugby Championship \|17 August 2024 \|Win \|12–30
4 \|{{ru\|ARG}} \|Santiago del Estero, Argentina \|Estadio Único Madre de Ciudades \|2024 Rugby Championship \|21 September 2024 \|Loss \|29–28
5 \|rowspan="2"\|{{ru\|ARG}} \|rowspan="2"\|Mbombela, South Africa \|rowspan="2"\|Mbombela Stadium \|rowspan="2"\|2024 Rugby Championship \|rowspan="2"\|28 September 2024 \|rowspan="2"\|Win \|rowspan="2"\|48–7
6
7 \|{{ru\|WAL}} \|Cardiff, Wales \|Millennium Stadium \|2024 Autumn Nations Series \|23 November 2024 \|Win \|12–45

References

External links

[https://www.sarugby.co.za/match-centre/player-detail/?playerId=7439235e-b11b-4513-9a1b-35a839fdabef&teamId=e976cfc2-f80b-4c1a-8472-838cd54f0fbc Aphelele Fassi] at Springboks
{{sport links}}

Category:South African rugby union players

Category:Living people

Category:Xhosa people

Category:1998 births

Category:Rugby union players from Qonce

Category:Rugby union wings

Category:Rugby union fullbacks

Category:Sharks (Currie Cup) players

Category:Sharks (rugby union) players

Category:South Africa international rugby union players

Category:Alumni of Dale College Boys' High School

Category:21st-century South African sportsmen