Faf de Klerk

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Faf de Klerk
Faf de Klerk.jpg
De Klerk playing for Sale Sharks in 2017
Full nameFrançois de Klerk
Date of birth (1991-10-19) 19 October 1991 (age 29)
Place of birthNelspruit, South Africa
Height1.72 m (5 ft 7+1⁄2 in)
Weight80 kg (180 lb)
SchoolHoërskool Waterkloof
Rugby union career
Position(s) Scrum-half
Current team Sale Sharks
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–present Sale Sharks 70 (218)
Correct as of 7 January 2021
National team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
2016– South Africa 32 (25)
Correct as of 20 August 2021

François "Faf" de Klerk (born 19 October 1991) is a South African professional rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half for English Premiership club Sale Sharks and the South Africa national team. He was a member of the South Africa team that won the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

Pre-professional career[]

Born in Nelspruit (now Mbombela), De Klerk played rugby at Hoërskool Waterkloof in Pretoria.[1]

Early career[]

De Klerk was included in the Lions squad for the 2014 Super Rugby season[2] and made his debut in a 21–20 victory over the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.[3][4]

He joined the Golden Lions Currie Cup team for the 2016 season.[5]

He joined English Premiership side Sale Sharks prior to the 2017–18 season on a three-year contract.[6] In December 2018, the club announced that De Klerk signed a contract extension until 2023.[7]

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[8] 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.[9] 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.[9]

He was an important member of South Africa's victorious 2019 Rugby Championship campaign and was duly selected for the 2019 Rugby World Cup.[10] In their 20 October quarter-final match against Japan, he was named Player of the Match.[11] 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.[12] Faf 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.

References[]

  1. ^ "Faf de Klerk: Five quick facts about the Springbok superstar". 26 June 2018.
  2. ^ "2014 Lions Super Rugby squad" (Press release). Lions. 11 February 2014. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 11 February 2014.
  3. ^ "Match Centre: Cheetahs v Lions". SANZAR. 15 February 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2014.
  4. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Toyota Cheetahs 20-21 Lions". South African Rugby Union. 15 February 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  5. ^ "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.
  6. ^ "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.
  7. ^ "Faf de Klerk commits to Sale Sharks until 2023". BusinessLIVE. 1 January 2019. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
  8. ^ "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.
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b Rees, Paul (24 October 2019). "Faf de Klerk: 'I guess moving to England was a blessing in disguise'". The Guardian.
  10. ^ "England v South Africa: Can Faf de Klerk be stopped in World Cup final?". BBC Sport. 29 October 2019.
  11. ^ "Japan v South Africa - Catch up on all the action - Rugby World Cup 2019". World Rugby. 20 October 2019. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
  12. ^ "Match 44, Quarter Final". South African Rugby Union. 20 October 2019. Retrieved 14 November 2019.

External links[]

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