Justin Basson

Justin Basson
Full nameJustin Johan Basson
Date of birth (1994-02-10) 10 February 1994 (age 30)
Place of birthCape Town, South Africa
Height1.94 m (6 ft 4+1⁄2 in)
Weight120 kg (18 st 13 lb; 265 lb)
SchoolHoër Landbouskool Boland, Paarl
Rugby union career
Position(s) Lock
Current team Sharks
Youth career
2013 Blue Bulls
2014–2015 Free State Cheetahs
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
2016 CUT Ixias 3 (0)
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2015–2018 Free State XV 28 (10)
2016–2018 Free State Cheetahs 29 (10)
2017–2019 Cheetahs 30 [note 1] (5)
2021 Western Province 3 (0)
2021 Stormers 1 (0)
2022– Rugby ATL 15 (5)
2022– Sharks 1 (0)
Correct as of 21 June 2023

Justin Johan Basson (born 10 February 1994) is a South African rugby union player for the Sharks in the United Rugby Championship.[3] He also plays for the Rugby ATL in Major League Rugby (MLR) in the U.S. His regular position is lock.

Career

Blue Bulls

Basson was born in Cape Town. After high school, he joined the Blue Bulls Academy prior to the 2013 season.[4] He was one of the first-choice locks for the Blue Bulls U19 side during the 2013 Under-19 Provincial Championship; after two appearances off the bench in their first two matches of the season, he started every other match, helping the Blue Bulls finish top of the log to qualify for the title play-offs. He started their 37–21 semi-final victory against the Leopards U19[5] and also the final, in which the Blue Bulls finished the season as champions after beating Gauteng rivals Golden Lions U19 35–23 in Durban.[6]

He was named in a 74-man South Africa Under-20 training squad named in February 2014.[7] However, he did not make the final squad that participated at the 2014 IRB Junior World Championship in New Zealand.[8]

Free State Cheetahs

After just one season in Pretoria, Basson moved to Bloemfontein to join the Free State Cheetahs. He started the season playing rugby for the UFS Shimlas Young Guns, scoring a try in the final of the 2014 Varsity Cup Young Guns competition to help them win the competition for the first time.[9]

He started nine of the Free State U21 side's thirteen matches during the 2014 Under-21 Provincial Championship and played off the bench on one occasion. He scored one of his side's eighteen tries in a 118–6 demolition of Border U21 in his second match at this level[10] and scored another in a 43–21 victory over the Sharks U21 later in the season[11] to help his side finish in fourth spot and clinch a title play-off spot. He didn't feature in the semi-finals as his side lost 17–41 to Western Province U21.[12]

He was included in a Free State XV that participated in the 2015 Vodacom Cup. He made his first class debut by starting their second match of the season against Boland Cavaliers in a 52–15 victory.[13]

Notes

  1. ^ According to the SA Rugby Annual 2019, Basson did not feature in the 2018–19 Pro14 match against Munster.[1] However, according to the Pro14 website, he was a used substitute in the match.[2] This potential appearance has been included in Basson's appearance stats.

References

  1. ^ South African Rugby Annual 2019. 2019. p. 308. ISBN 978-0-620-81808-7.
  2. ^ "Wootton scores four in Munster's second bonus-point victory of the season". Guinness Pro14. 9 September 2017. Archived from the original on 9 September 2017. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
  3. ^ "SA Rugby Player Profile – Justin Basson". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  4. ^ "Bulls scoop up schoolboy stars". SuperSport. 17 July 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  5. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Vodacom Blue Bulls 37–21 Leopards". South African Rugby Union. 19 October 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  6. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – MTN Golden Lions 23–35 Vodacom Blue Bulls". South African Rugby Union. 26 October 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  7. ^ "74 Junior Springbok Hopefuls". Youth Sports Network. 19 February 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  8. ^ "Junior Springboks named for JWC 2014". South African Rugby Union. 22 April 2014. Archived from the original on 7 June 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  9. ^ "UFS Young Guns dethrone Tuks". Varsity Cup. 31 March 2014. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  10. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Free State U21 118–6 Border U21". South African Rugby Union. 26 July 2014. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  11. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Free State U21 43–21 Sharks U21". South African Rugby Union. 13 September 2014. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  12. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Western Province U21 41–17 Free State U21". South African Rugby Union. 18 October 2014. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  13. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Toyota Free State XV 52–15 Boland Cavaliers". South African Rugby Union. 28 March 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2016.