Springbok fullback Aphelele Fassi will be playing his rugby in Japan next season as part of a sabbatical agreement written into his contract with the Hollywoodbets Sharks.
Fassi has not yet named the specific club he will join in Japan, but it has been an open secret over the past few weeks that he will be joining another Springbok and a former Sharks captain, Lukhanyo Am, as well as scrumhalf Grant Williams, in the land of the rising sun.
At least unlike in the other two cases, however, he will be returning to play for the Sharks in the middle of next year in the 2027-28 season.
In saying that, there is a trend developing when it comes to players who go to Japan on a shortened deal, then returning to that country at the first opportunity that their contractual obligations will allow. Am was away for a season on sabbatical a couple of years ago, as was the Vodacom Bulls Bok Kurt-Lee Arendse. Both are now in Japan permanently, with last week’s Vodacom URC final being his last appearance for the Bulls.
As part of Aphelele Fassi’s renewed contract with The Sharks, he will take up an exciting opportunity in Japan for the 2026/27 season following the conclusion of his Springbok commitments.
— The Sharks (@SharksRugby) June 26, 2026
Having grown through The Sharks system since joining out of school in 2018, Aphelele has… pic.twitter.com/hLsDEJGfzp
Fassi is effectively the third Sharks fullback who won’t be at the club next season - Hakeem Kunene has signed for the Bulls, as has Luan Giliomee, who made such an impressive debut for the Sharks as a 19-year-old in a URC game against Munster a few months ago.
The 18-year-old Zekhethelo Siyaya was impressive there when Giliomee was injured during the long injury-enforced absence of Fassi that gave him his opportunity, but only time will tell whether the now South Africa A-capped player is ready for the big step of becoming the go-to man in the last line of defence in all the big games.
With Vusi Moyo now with the Boks as a flyhalf, there is the other option of playing Jordan Hendrikse at fullback when he is fit again, while Jaco Williams, another recent national under-20 player included in the current Bok squad, has also appeared at fullback for the Sharks even though most of the games we have seen him play have been on the wing.