Cecil Afrika facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Cecil Afrika

Afrika in 2012
Date of birth	(1988-03-03) 3 March 1988 (age 37)
Place of birth	Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Height	1.77 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in)
Weight	65 kg (143 lb; 10 st 3 lb)
School	Hentie Cilliers, Virginia
Rugby union career
Position(s) Fullback Current team South Africa Sevens Youth Career 2004–2007 Griffons Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 2006–2009 Griffons 48 (187) 2017 Free State XV 1 (0) 2017 Free State Cheetahs 4 (10) 2017 Cheetahs 2 (0) 2021– San Diego Legion 15 (19) Correct as of 15 July 2021 National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 2006 South Africa Schools () 2008 South Africa Under-20 4 (5) 2009–2020 South Africa Sevens 345 (1,462) Correct as of 23 April 2021

Cecil Sebastian Afrika, born on March 3, 1988, is a famous South African rugby sevens player. He played for the South Africa national team, often as a flyhalf. He also played for the San Diego Legion in Major League Rugby (MLR).

Cecil Afrika was part of the South African Sevens team that won a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Early Life and Young Career

Cecil went to Hentie Cilliers High School in Virginia, South Africa. He played for the South African Schoolboys team in 2006. Later, he joined the South African Under-20 squad. In 2008, his team finished third at the 2008 IRB Junior World Championship.

Playing for the National Sevens Team

Cecil Afrika first played for the South African sevens team in 2009. This was during the Dubai part of the 2009–10 IRB Sevens World Series. During the Las Vegas part of the same series, he got injured but his team still won.

He was part of the sevens team that won a bronze medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India.

In 2011, Cecil missed a tournament because of a broken jaw. But he still became the top try-scorer and point-scorer for the 2010–11 IRB Sevens World Series. He scored 40 tries and a total of 385 points that season!

In 2011, he won the IRB International Sevens Player of the Year award. This was a huge honor, beating out other great players. In 2013, Cecil was chosen for the 2013 Rugby World Cup Sevens team.

2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi

Cecil Afrika played a key role for the South Africa Sevens team in Delhi. He helped the team finish in third place and win a bronze medal. These games really showed how talented Cecil was in rugby sevens.

2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow

Cecil was chosen for the South African team again for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. This was a big challenge because New Zealand had never lost a sevens game at the Commonwealth Games. But the South Africa Sevens team had an amazing tournament. They became champions and won the GOLD medal!

2016 Summer Olympics in Rio

Cecil Afrika was part of the 12-player squad for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. In their first game against Spain, he scored two tries and helped his team win 24–0. He also played well in other matches, helping South Africa win their pool.

In the quarter-finals, South Africa beat Australia. In the semi-finals, they lost a close game to Great Britain. But Cecil and his team bounced back in the bronze-medal match. He scored two tries and helped South Africa win 54–14 against Japan. This secured a bronze medal for South Africa in the competition.

Achievements and Awards

• Played for the Springboks Blitzbok team from 2009, with 345 matches for South Africa.
• He holds the record for the most points scored for South Africa in the World Series, with 1465 points.
• Won the 2010/2011 IRB International Sevens Player of the Year award.
• Won a Bronze Medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
• Won a Gold Medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
• Won a Bronze Medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics Summer Games.

Retirement and New Role

Cecil Afrika retired from international sevens rugby in June 2020. He was South Africa's all-time leading scorer in the World Series.

After his long and successful career, Cecil became an ambassador for the International Rugby Board's 'Keep Rugby Clean' program in 2021. This program helps keep rugby fair and clean.

Club Rugby Career

Before joining the South African Sevens team, Cecil Afrika played for the Griffons in South Africa's Currie Cup. In 2017, he also played briefly for the Cheetahs.

In 2021, Cecil signed with an American team called San Diego Legion. He played as a fullback for them in the 2021 season.