Faf de Klerk facts: 10 things you didn’t know about the Sale star
Top 10s/ListsMonday, 21 September 2020 at 23:44
Being one of the most popular players on the globe is likely to generate an incredible fan-base globally, but we are fairly confident that there are some aspects of Faf de Klerk’s life and career you are not familiar with.
Here are 10 Faf de Klerk facts you may not know about:
Faf de Klerk facts:
1. Actual name
Despite being better known as Faf, his full name is actually Francois de Klerk.
2. Overlooked for his height
"It was disappointing but luckily I have great parents who have always supported me. South African rugby players are notoriously big and some coaches just got stuck in that mindset and decided I wouldn't make it because of my height and that was that. It didn't matter how big I got physically. But it just gave me the motivation to prove them wrong, as I've always believed in myself."
3. A huge fan of fancy dress
The South African takes any opportunity to throw on a wacky outfit.
4. Car
He drives a very impressive looking Subaru.
5. Hero
His hero growing up was the late, great Joost van der Westhuizen. Here's a young Faf photoed with the 1995 World Cup winner.
6. Love of the countryside
Another interesting Faf de Klerk facts is that he scrum-half spends most of his free time either walking in the Lake District or shooting in the Peak District. He loves being out in the open and the wild as it reminds him of back in South Africa.
7. Faf de Klerk Girlfriend
Faf has a beautiful Dutch girlfriend whose name is Miné van Niekerk. She recently moved to Manchester to live with the Sale Sharks star. Long-term, he's said that he hopes to live somewhere in the Netherlands one day.
8. Lookalike
Faf often gets told by fans that he looks like Prince Charming from Shrek - and enjoys interacting with them on social media. They have a good point.
9. Religion
De Klerk is a religious man. The first thing he does every morning is pray. “It helps me find clarity,” he said. “It calms me down and makes me confident that things will work out.”
10. His advice for young players
1 - Don't let anyone get you down, no matter how negative they are towards you.
2 - Work really really hard. Even if you can do 1% more than the next guy... it might make things take a bit longer, but it'll be worth it.
3 - Believe in yourself. Constantly talk to yourself and tell yourself you can do it.
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- Jordie Barrett over Damian de Allende is far from being correct. The hype around Dupont is also overreaching, he's probably 4th in the world and has been since the 2023 WC. He also avoids certain matchups which is strange. The rest of the list is pretty good apart from minor subjective biases.JasonMarlow16-09-2026
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