Special delivery from Aphelele Fassi 😌
Special delivery from Aphelele Fassi 😌
Fassi heads to Japan on sabbatical as Sharks full-back joins Brave Lupus for 2027 season
Aphelele Fassi will join Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo for the 2027 Rugby League One season on a sabbatical, having signed a new deal to remain at the Sharks long-term. The Springbok full-back is part of a triple signing alongside Scotland's Jack Dempsey and ex-All Black David Havili, who have both committed permanently to the Japanese club.
Fassi heads to Japan on sabbatical as Sharks full-back joins Brave Lupus triple signing
Aphelele Fassi joins Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo on sabbatical for the 2027 Rugby League One season, with Scotland's Jack Dempsey and ex-All Black David Havili signing permanent deals at the same club.
The Best Of Aphelele Fassi In Black And White
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Fassi's Japan move leaves the Sharks with a genuine fullback headache
Fassi's confirmed Japan sabbatical strips the Sharks of their first-choice fullback for a season, but with Kunene and Giliomee also gone, Gavin Rich argues the Sharks are dangerously thin in the position — and questions whether teenage prospect Siyaya is ready to carry the load.
Fassi's Japan sabbatical exposes a fullback crisis brewing at the Sharks
Three fullbacks out in one off-season — Fassi to Japan, Kunene and Giliomee to the Bulls — leaves the Sharks dangerously thin at 15, with only a teenager and a few makeshift options to fill the void.