Justin Basson
{{Short description|South African rugby union player}}
{{EngvarB|date=October 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}}
{{Infobox rugby union biography
| name = Justin Basson
| image = Justin Basson 2022.jpg
| fullname = Justin Johan Basson
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1994|02|10}}
| birth_place = Cape Town, South Africa
| height = {{height|m=1.94}}
| weight = {{convert|120|kg|stlb lb|0|abbr=on}}
| nickname =
| occupation =
| school = Hoër Landbouskool Boland, Paarl
| university =
| relatives =
| position = Lock
| currentclub = {{Rut|Sharks}}
| youthyears1 = 2013
| youthclubs1 = {{Rut|Blue Bulls}}
| youthyears2 = 2014–2015
| youthclubs2 = {{Rut|Free State Cheetahs}}
| years1 = 2015–2018
| clubs1 = {{Rut|Free State XV}}
| apps1 = 28
| points1 = 10
| years2 = 2016–2018
| clubs2 = {{Rut|Free State Cheetahs}}
| apps2 = 29
| points2 = 10
| years3 = 2017–2019
| clubs3 = {{Rut|Cheetahs}}
| apps3 = 30 {{refn | group=note | name="Appearances discrepancy" | According to the SA Rugby Annual 2019, Basson did not feature in the 2018–19 Pro14 match against {{Rut|Munster}}.{{cite book | title=South African Rugby Annual 2019 | year=2019 | pages=308 | isbn=978-0-620-81808-7}} However, according to the Pro14 website, he was a used substitute in the match.{{cite web | url=http://www.pro14rugby.org/report/wootton-scores-four-in-munsters-second-bonus-point-victory-of-the-season | title=Wootton scores four in Munster's second bonus-point victory of the season | work=Guinness Pro14 | date=9 September 2017 | access-date=10 September 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170909222528/http://www.pro14rugby.org/report/wootton-scores-four-in-munsters-second-bonus-point-victory-of-the-season | archive-date=9 September 2017 | url-status=live | df=dmy-all}} This potential appearance has been included in Basson's appearance stats.}}
| points3 = 5
| years4 = 2021
| clubs4 = {{Rut|Western Province}}
| apps4 = 3
| points4 = 0
| years5 = 2021
| clubs5 = {{Rut|Stormers}}
| apps5 = 1
| points5 = 0
| years6 = 2022–
| clubs6 = {{Rut|Rugby ATL}}
| apps6 = 15
| points6 = 5
| years7 = 2022–
| clubs7 = {{Rut|Sharks}}
| apps7 =1
| points7 =0
| amatyears1 = 2016
| amatteam1 = {{Rut|CUT Ixias}}
| amatapps1 = 3
| amatpoints1 = 0
| clubupdate = 21 June 2023
}}
Justin Johan Basson (born 10 February 1994) is a South African rugby union player for the {{Rut|Sharks}} in the United Rugby Championship.{{SA Rugby Player Profile | id=123974 | name=Justin Basson | date=29 May 2016}} He also plays for the Rugby ATL in Major League Rugby (MLR) in the U.S. His regular position is lock.
Career
=Blue Bulls=
Basson was born in Cape Town. After high school, he joined the Blue Bulls Academy prior to the 2013 season.{{cite web | url=http://www.supersport.com/rugby/juniors/news/120717/Bulls_scoop_up_schoolboy_stars | title=Bulls scoop up schoolboy stars | publisher=SuperSport | date=17 July 2012 | access-date=23 April 2015}} He was one of the first-choice locks for the {{Rut|Blue Bulls U19}} side during the 2013 Under-19 Provincial Championship; after two appearances off the bench in their first two matches of the season, he started every other match, helping the Blue Bulls finish top of the log to qualify for the title play-offs. He started their 37–21 semi-final victory against the {{Rut|Leopards U19}}{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=109104 | homeid=14474 | awayid=14514 | leagueid=1424 | hometeam=Vodacom Blue Bulls | homescore=37 | awayscore=21 | awayteam=Leopards | matchdate=19 October 2013 | date=27 July 2016}} and also the final, in which the Blue Bulls finished the season as champions after beating Gauteng rivals {{Rut|Golden Lions U19}} 35–23 in Durban.{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=109124 | homeid=14524 | awayid=14474 | leagueid=1424 | hometeam=MTN Golden Lions | homescore=23 | awayscore=35 | awayteam=Vodacom Blue Bulls | matchdate=26 October 2013 | date=27 July 2016}}
He was named in a 74-man South Africa Under-20 training squad named in February 2014.{{cite web | url=http://ysn.co.za/news/rugby/national/2014/74-junior-springbok-hopefuls | title=74 Junior Springbok Hopefuls | publisher=Youth Sports Network | date=19 February 2014 | access-date=23 April 2015}} However, he did not make the final squad that participated at the 2014 IRB Junior World Championship in New Zealand.{{SA Rugby Article | id=2411934 | leagueid=2034 | title=Junior Springboks named for JWC 2014 | date=22 April 2014 | accessdate=6 June 2016 | url=http://www.sarugby.co.za/article.aspx?id=2411934&fullview=true | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160607185606/http://www.sarugby.co.za/article.aspx?id=2411934&fullview=true | url-status=dead | archivedate=7 June 2016}}
=Free State Cheetahs=
After just one season in Pretoria, Basson moved to Bloemfontein to join the {{Rut|Free State Cheetahs}}. He started the season playing rugby for the {{Rut|UFS Shimlas Young Guns}}, scoring a try in the final of the 2014 Varsity Cup Young Guns competition to help them win the competition for the first time.{{cite web | url=http://varsitycup.co.za/young-guns-news/tuks-young-guns/ufs-young-guns-dethrone-tuks/ | title=UFS Young Guns dethrone Tuks | publisher=Varsity Cup | date=31 March 2014 | access-date=23 April 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402210452/http://varsitycup.co.za/young-guns-news/tuks-young-guns/ufs-young-guns-dethrone-tuks/ | archive-date=2 April 2015 | url-status=dead }}
He started nine of the {{Rut|Free State U21}} side's thirteen matches during the 2014 Under-21 Provincial Championship and played off the bench on one occasion. He scored one of his side's eighteen tries in a 118–6 demolition of {{Rut|Border U21}} in his second match at this level{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=120804 | homeid=18484 | awayid=18464 | leagueid=1834 | hometeam=Free State U21 | homescore=118 | awayscore=6 | awayteam=Border U21 | matchdate=26 July 2014 | date=27 July 2016}} and scored another in a 43–21 victory over the {{Rut|Sharks U21}} later in the season{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=121004 | homeid=18484 | awayid=18494 | leagueid=1834 | hometeam=Free State U21 | homescore=43 | awayscore=21 | awayteam=Sharks U21 | matchdate=13 September 2014 | date=27 July 2016}} to help his side finish in fourth spot and clinch a title play-off spot. He didn't feature in the semi-finals as his side lost 17–41 to {{Rut|Western Province U21}}.{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=121144 | homeid=18474 | awayid=18484 | leagueid=1834 | hometeam=Western Province U21 | homescore=41 | awayscore=17 | awayteam=Free State U21 | matchdate=18 October 2014 | date=27 July 2016}}
He was included in a {{Rut|Free State XV}} that participated in the 2015 Vodacom Cup. He made his first class debut by starting their second match of the season against {{Rut|Boland Cavaliers}} in a 52–15 victory.{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=140364 | homeid=24364 | awayid=24374 | leagueid=2304 | hometeam=Toyota Free State XV | homescore=52 | awayscore=15 | awayteam=Boland Cavaliers | matchdate=28 March 2015 | date=27 July 2016}}
Notes
{{reflist|group=note}}
References
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}
{{Houston SaberCats squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Basson, Justin}}
Category:South African rugby union players
Category:Rugby union players from Cape Town
Category:Free State Cheetahs players
Category:Cheetahs (rugby union) players
Category:Western Province (rugby union) players
Category:Rugby Football Club Los Angeles players
Category:Sharks (rugby union) players
Category:Houston SaberCats players
Category:South African expatriate rugby union players in the United States