Rugby resurrection — Bok, Sharks star Aphelele Fassi has matured into a world-class player

Aphelele Fassi of the Sharks during the United Rugby Championship match against the Stormers at Kings Park Stadium on 30 November 2024 in Durban. (Photo: Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Images)

By Yanga Sibembe

23 Feb 2025

The fullback’s journey has been marked by dazzling highs and frustrating setbacks. In 2024, he proved that he remains an exciting talent.

Aphelele Fassi burst onto the local rugby scene with the Sharks in 2018, scoring on debut and eventually helping the Durban side clinch overall victory in the Currie Cup that year.

Three years on from making a splash in the Shark tank, Fassi repeated his debut-try trick when he made his first Springbok appearance, against Georgia.

Bok coach Jacques Nienaber labelled the Dale College old boy as “an unbelievably talented player” after handing him his first senior Springbok cap in 2021. His displays that year earned Fassi the accolade of South African Rugby Young Player of the Year.

However, in the two years following this promising international start, regular injury setbacks saw Fassi fall down the Springbok pecking order, despite his versatility on the field. He was even dropped from the Bok camp in 2022.

But in 2024 he again displayed his immense quality on the rugby field after regaining his confidence.

Where it all started

At Dale College, Fassi played a number of positions – including flyhalf, centre and his currently favoured position of fullback. Despite his immense physical stature and height, Fassi is fast and can play on the wing. Injuries, though, have regularly hampered the 27-year-old’s rise.

Nevertheless, he is still madly in love with the sport he chose as a career all the way back when he was still a teenager at Dale in King William’s Town. This was despite his initial interest in a number of other sports, as well as the pressure of coming from a family that preached education first.

“My childhood was good. I grew up in an educational and sporting family – playing various sports like hockey, soccer, cricket, tennis,” Fassi told Daily Maverick.

“In Grade 11, scouts approached me and asked if I would like to pursue a rugby career at the Sharks. At that time, I didn’t know anything about contracts or how things work in the outside world,” Fassi said.

“But when that opportunity came again in matric, it was a no-brainer for me. And the Sharks were the only club that approached me at that time.”

Despite their initial apprehension at his preferred career choice, Fassi’s parents, Kenneth and Yandiswa, threw their weight behind their son when they saw how intent he was on venturing into rugby. His four siblings were also extremely supportive of their younger brother.

“My dad would sit us down and make sure that we study. Both my parents supported me; they supported all of us in various departments of life,” Fassi remembers.

“My mom and dad were kind of scared of the opportunity of me playing rugby. They said: ‘What if you don’t make it?’ But they came to the conclusion that I must give it a try and then if you don’t succeed, there are other things that you can do in life as well, besides rugby… The support that they have shown throughout my journey is massive.”

He juggled his newfound stardom as a young man with doing marketing courses to add some weight to his matric pass. He still harbours ambitions of obtaining a tertiary qualification, but he is not yet certain which field he would like to pursue.

Aphelele Fassi of the Sharks during a United Rugby Championship match against the Stormers at Kings Park Stadium in Durban on 30 November 2024. (Photo: Steve Haag Sports / Gallo Images)

The resurrection

In 2024 Fassi had his best rugby season yet, featuring regularly for both the Sharks and Springboks – and being effective for both. It was an astonishing comeback for someone who seemed he might never fulfil his true potential as a rugby player.

In 2024, Fassi showcased exactly what he is capable of, both in the Shark tank and at the Boks – something he cannot help but be proud of.

“I feel honoured and privileged to be able to represent and wear the Springbok colours. As a youngster coming into a Sharks setup, not knowing exactly what you want, and then a few years later you are selected to play for the Springboks… It brings joy into you,” Fassi said of his displays in 2024.

“I just want to make the best out of it and make the country proud, to keep the Springbok jersey and flag flying high with every opportunity that I get.

“I might play or I might not play. But just to be the best version of myself, to help out how the Springboks perform,” he added.

Bok boss Rassie Erasmus is a massive fan of Fassi’s work on the field. He heaped praise on the fullback last year.

“We call him the ‘township tackler’ because of how seriously he takes being the last line of defence,” Erasmus said. “He’s become very determined and tough, but not at the expense of his superb skills. He can still glide [through gaps in defence], but he’s very physical,” Erasmus said.

“Unfortunately, with everything, there’s first the real hard graft in a game, before you get to do the beautiful things. So, he’s needed to get his technique under the high ball right, not lifting that leg. He’s got that out of his system. Understanding the wings, organising, he’s getting the ropes with that.”

Constant support

Fassi said a number of people had been in his corner during his roller coaster of a career, including his family, coaches, teammates and friends. However, the Dale old boy singles out Sharks defence coach Joey Mongalo for his continued improvement as a rugby player, particularly in defence.

“Joey and I had a chat about how we could fix [my defence]. It’s about having a plan and putting it to action week in, week out,” Fassi said.

“I’ll do defensive drills twice a week. And then obviously the mindset in terms of not worrying if you miss a tackle, just go on to the next job. And I guess doing your defensive work with more intent. And then with that intent, if it doesn’t pay off, you get another opportunity,” said Fassi on what he has learnt from Mongalo.

Fassi is currently out of action indefinitely with an ankle injury that he suffered during the Sharks’ United Rugby Championship clash against the Stormers in December 2024. In the past, his injuries have seen him plunge into an abyss of darkness, threatening to derail his career.

Now he seeks to find positivity in such setbacks and has even started journalling to help himself stay positive.

“I have accepted that this is a space for one to grow in different departments. Just put in the grind and then you’ll reap the rewards at the end of the day,” he said.

Nicknamed “Weekend Special” by the late isiXhosa rugby commentator Kaunda Ntunja (after the song by South African singer Brenda Fassie), Fassi will hopefully be even better than before when he returns. That’s how it’s been whenever he’s suffered an injury setback in his career. DM

This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.

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South Africa

Where it all started

The resurrection

Constant support