Faf de Klerk

Francois "Faf" de Klerk (born 19 October 1991) is a South African professional rugby union player who plays scrum-half for Japan Rugby League One club Yokohama Canon Eagles and the South Africa national team. He was a member of the South Africa team that won the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

Faf de Klerk
de Klerk playing for South Africa in 2022
Full nameFrancois de Klerk
Date of birth (1991-10-19) 19 October 1991
Place of birthMasilo, Theunissen , Republic of South Africa
Height1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)[1]
Weight80 kg (180 lb)[1]
SchoolHoërskool Waterkloof
Occupation(s)Rugby player
Rugby union career
Position(s) Scrum-half, Fly-half
Current team Yokohama Canon Eagles
Youth career
2007–2009 Blue Bulls
2010–2011 Golden Lions
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2012–2015 Pumas 56 (20)
2014–2017 Lions 65 (72)
2016 Golden Lions 1 (0)
2017 Golden Lions XV 2 (0)
2017–2021 Sale Sharks 103 (241)
2022– Yokohama Canon Eagles ()
Correct as of 23 June 2022
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2016– South Africa 54 (50)
Correct as of 22 October 2023

Pre-professional career

Born in Nelspruit (now Mbombela), De Klerk played rugby at Hoërskool Waterkloof in Pretoria.[2]

Career

De Klerk was included in the Lions squad for the 2014 Super Rugby season[3] and made his debut in a 21–20 victory over the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.[4][5]

He joined the Golden Lions Currie Cup team for the 2016 season.[6]

He joined English Premiership side Sale Sharks prior to the 2017–18 season on a three-year contract.[7] In December 2018, the club announced that De Klerk signed a contract extension until 2023.[8]

After four seasons with the Sharks, de Klerk announced in June 2022 that he would be departing the club at the end of the 2021-22 season to join Yokohama Canon Eagles in Japan Rugby League One.[9][10]

International career

De Klerk was rewarded for his Super Rugby form when he was selected by the then recently appointed Springbok coach Allister Coetzee in South Africa's 31-man squad for their 2016 three-test match series against Ireland[11] and made his test debut as the starting scrum-half in the opening test at Newlands Stadium. In a tightly-fought series, Ireland won the first test 26−20, but the Springboks fought back to clinch the series, winning 32−26 in Johannesburg and 19−13 in Port Elizabeth.

After signing for Sale Sharks in 2017, De Klerk was ineligible to represent the Springboks due to having fewer than 30 caps.[12] However, after this selection criterion was abolished in 2018, new Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus recalled De Klerk to the team for the 2018 three-test match series against England.[12]

He was a member of South Africa's victorious 2019 Rugby Championship campaign and was duly selected for the 2019 Rugby World Cup.[13] In their 20 October quarter-final match against Japan, he was named Player of the Match.[14] He was a key player for South Africa's World Cup victory, being named as the starting scrum-half in two of their pool matches, as well as all their play-off games. He scored a try in their quarter-final win over Japan.[15] De Klerk was once again included as the starting scrum-half against England in the 2019 Rugby World Cup Final, which saw South Africa beating England 32−12 to secure a third Webb Ellis Cup lift.

International tries
As of 19 November 2021 [16]
Try Opposing team Location Venue Competition Date Result Score
1  England Johannesburg, South Africa Ellis Park Stadium 2018 England rugby union tour of South Africa 9 June 2018 Win 42 – 39
2  Argentina Durban, South Africa Kings Park Stadium 2018 Rugby Championship 18 August 2018 Win 34 –21
3  Australia Port Elizabeth, South Africa Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium 2018 Rugby Championship 29 September 2018 Win 23 –12
4  Japan Chōfu, Japan Tokyo Stadium 2019 Rugby World Cup 20 October 2019 Win 3 – 26
5  British and Irish Lions Cape Town, South Africa Cape Town Stadium 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa 24 July 2021 Loss 17 –22

References
  1. "Faf de Klerk player profile". rugbyworldcup.com. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  2. "Faf de Klerk: Five quick facts about the Springbok superstar". 26 June 2018.
  3. "2014 Lions Super Rugby squad" (Press release). Lions. 11 February 2014. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 11 February 2014.
  4. "Match Centre: Cheetahs v Lions". SANZAR. 15 February 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2014.
  5. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Toyota Cheetahs 20–21 Lions". South African Rugby Union. 15 February 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  6. "De Klerk and Fourie sign with Lions Rugby" (Press release). Golden Lions. 3 July 2015. Archived from the original on 4 July 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  7. "Sale Sharks announce signing of South Africa international Faf de Klerk" (Press release). Sale Sharks. 8 May 2017. Archived from the original on 8 May 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  8. "Faf de Klerk commits to Sale Sharks until 2023". BusinessLIVE. 1 January 2019. Archived from the original on 18 December 2019. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
  9. "Sale scrum-half De Klerk to join Canon Eagles". BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  10. Odeven, Ed (2 June 2022). "RUGBY | Faf de Klerk Signs with Yokohama Canon Eagles | JAPAN Forward". japan-forward.com. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  11. "Squad of 31 ushers in new era of Springbok rugby". South African Rugby Union. 28 May 2016. Archived from the original on 31 May 2016.
  12. Rees, Paul (24 October 2019). "Faf de Klerk: 'I guess moving to England was a blessing in disguise'". The Guardian.
  13. "England v South Africa: Can Faf de Klerk be stopped in World Cup final?". BBC Sport. 29 October 2019.
  14. "Japan v South Africa - Catch up on all the action - Rugby World Cup 2019". World Rugby. 20 October 2019. Archived from the original on 4 November 2019. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
  15. "Match 44, Quarter Final". South African Rugby Union. 20 October 2019. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  16. "Faaf de Klerk". 19 November 2021.
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