Durban - It’s official. Rising rugby star Aphelele Fassi has re-signed for the Sharks to end the speculation that he was moving to the Stormers.
It has been a good week at the Shark Tank. First, there was the revelation that the globally respected John Plumtree is to be the head coach from July and now hot property Fassi has chosen to stay with the province he joined in 2018, straight out of school at Dale College in the Eastern Cape.
Fassi, who is on the books of global sports agency Roc Nation, put pen to paper this week to keep him at Hollywoodbets Kings Park for some time to come.
There had been a tug-of-war over the 25-year-old, with a Western Province official recently stating that they were “making good progress” in attracting the dynamic fullback/wing to the Cape when he comes off contract later this year.
The not-so-good news for rugby fans, in general, is that Fassi is out of the game for six to eight weeks after suffering a shinbone injury in his team’s loss to the Stormers last week.
That means he will miss the business end of the United Rugby Championship and also the Heineken Cup.
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Fassi is a versatile player who can play fullback and wing. His athleticism and appetite for the counter-attack make him a dangerous player who can create tries out of nothing.
This earned him the nickname "Weekend Special" which also ties in with the classic song by his namesake Brenda Fassi.
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Before last week’s setback at the Cape Town Stadium, Fassi had been in fine form for the Sharks after making a comeback from a long-term injury.
In a recent interview, the 25-year-old said he desperately wants to reclaim his place in the Bok squad for the upcoming World Cup in France. He last played for South Africa in the defeat to Wales in Bloemfontein last year.
IOL Sport