Fassi embodies fun on the field
● When Brenda Fassie released her huge hit single Weekend Special in February 1983, Sharks fullback Aphelele Onke Okuhle Fassi was 15 years away from being born.
The 22-year-old from King William’s Town might be missing the E from Brenda’s surname and may not be related to the late, great SA queen of pop, but he made such an impact for the Sharks last year and in this year’s Super Rugby that he came to be known as the “Weekend Special”.
The nickname hasn’t stuck, but the jovial and talented sportsman has no qualms with it.
The youthful exuberance of the 2020 Sharks group has also made life enjoyable for the lithe and lanky fullback.
“My teammates call me Fassi and I’ve never heard them address me as ‘Weekend Special’. They joked about it when they heard about it and make fun of it, but no-one has actually addressed me as ‘Weekend Special’,” Fassi said.
Demands of the game
“With our young playing group, I have people around whom I have fun with. I think that’s where it comes from and we have fun on and off the field.”
Fassi, the fifth of six children, is the lastborn son, hence the name Aphelele amadoda (the last of the men) with Onke Okuhle meaning “all is beautiful”.
The Dale College product, 2017 first-team captain and 2016 Border Craven Week representative is serious about his rugby. However, his school’s emphasis on skill and enjoyment has been imprinted to a point where the element of fun has never left him.
“As you move up the age groups, you temper the fun with the demands of the game. At school I was really enjoying my rugby and I still do so now. I still play with the element of fun, but I’m building something for myself,” Fassi said.
He first drew Sharks scouts’ attention in his grade 11 year during the 2016 Kearsney Easter rugby festival at Botha’s Hill.
He received a Sharks Academy bursary which he fulfilled in 2018 because of completing matric in 2017.
The significant and heavily rugby-qualified Border rugby contingent at the Sharks
The biggest lesson I’ve taken from the guys is humility Aphelele Fassi
Young Sharks fullback
made life easy for Fassi. Lubabalo “Tera” Mtembu, Makazole Mapimpi, Lwazi Mvovo and Lukhanyo Am are from the area.
“It’s been massive for me. Tera was the first person I went to in my first week at the Sharks. His guidance when I was going through the ranks here meant the world to me in so many ways. His support role has been massive and my communication with the other guys is clear,” Fassi said.
“The senior guys have been massive for my rugby education and the biggest lessons I’ve taken from the guys is humility, focusing on your tasks, sticking to your basics at all times and enjoying what you do.”
Covid-19 has in the short term denied him a Springbok opportunity. Considering how well he’s played, Fassi said the opportunity may have sidestepped him for now, but he will wait his turn.
“Any professional rugby player wants to represent his country. Playing for the Springboks was one of my goals, but because of the coronavirus, we don’t know where we stand,” Fassi said.
“I don’t know where I stand from a competition perspective, but all that I want to do if I’m brought into the Springbok set-up is to learn as much as I can from the seniors.”