Asher Opoku-Fordjour

Last updated

Asher Opoku-Fordjour
Date of birth (2004-07-16) 16 July 2004 (age 20) [1]
Place of birth Coventry, England
Height1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight115 kg (254 lb; 18 st 2 lb) [2]
School City of Oxford College
Rugby union career
Position(s) Prop
Current team Sale Sharks
Youth career
Worcester Warriors
Wasps
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2022– Sale Sharks 20 (5)
Correct as of 1 December 2024
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2023–2024 England U20 19 (5)
2024– England A 1 (0)
2024– England 1 (0)
Correct as of 1 December 2024

Asher Opoku-Fordjour (born 16 July 2004) is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a prop forward for Premiership club Sale Sharks and England.

Contents

Early life

Born in Coventry, the youngest of four brothers, Opoku-Fordjour moved when he was 16 years old to Oxford, where he attended City of Oxford College. Opoku-Fordjour had started playing rugby union at 10 years of age for Broadstreet Rugby Club and initially played on the wing, before moving to flanker, hooker, and then finally prop. He was released from the Worcester Warriors academy in his teens. [3] [4] [5]

Club career

Opoku-Fordjour played rugby for Kenilworth RFC in Warwickshire and played for the academy side of Wasps RFC. However, after Wasps disbanded due to financial reasons, he joined Sale Sharks in November 2022. [6] [7] He played on loan in the National Rugby League with both Stourbridge and Sedgley Tigers during the 2022–23 season. [8]

Opoku-Fordjour made his debut for Sale in the Premiership Rugby Cup at the start of the 2023–24 season. [9] He made his Rugby Premiership debut for Sale against Newcastle Falcons on 17 November 2023. [10] Opoku-Fordjour was voted the RPA's 15 under 23 MVP of the month for December 2023. [11]

In December 2024, Opoku-Fordjour scored his first try for his club in the Premiership finding a gap next to a ruck to score under the posts against Leicester Tigers as Sale went on to win 39-25. [12] In January 2025, he signed a new three-year deal with the club. [13]

International career

Opoku-Fordjour was a member of the England under-20 side that finished fourth at the 2023 World Rugby U20 Championship and scored his only try at international youth level in pool stage draw with Ireland. [14] He won the 2024 U20 Six Nations Championship with England, starting all five games in the front row. [15] [16] Opoku-Fordjour was included in the squad for the 2024 World Rugby U20 Championship and started in the final as England defeated France at Cape Town Stadium to become Champions. [17] [18]

In November 2024 Opoku-Fordjour started for England A in a victory over Australia A at Twickenham Stoop. [19] [20] That same month he received his first call-up to the senior England squad for the Autumn internationals. [21] Opoku-Fordjour was named amongst the replacements for their last Test of the calendar year against Japan on 24 November 2024, and made his international debut by coming on as a substitute in the 55th minute. [22] [23]

Personal life

Opoku-Fordjour has Ghanaian heritage with family living in Accra. [24]

Related Research Articles

Luke Anthony Cowan-Dickie is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a hooker for Premiership Rugby club Sale Sharks and the England national team.

Sam Hill is an English rugby union player who plays as a centre for Houston SaberCats in Major League Rugby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dominic Barrow</span> English rugby union player

Dominic Edward Barrow is an English former rugby union player who played as a lock. He played for Yorkshire Carnegie in the RFU Championship, Newcastle Falcons, Leicester Tigers and Northampton Saints in Premiership Rugby and La Rochelle in France's Top 14. After initially retiring from the game in 2020 Barrow returned in February 2022 to finish his career with Sale Sharks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paolo Odogwu</span> Professional rugby union player

Paolo Odogwu is a professional rugby union player who plays as a winger for Benetton Rugby in the United Rugby Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Curry</span> Rugby player

Ben Anthony Curry is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a flanker for Premiership Rugby club Sale Sharks and the England national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marcus Smith (rugby union)</span> British Lions & England international rugby union player

Marcus Sebastian Smith is a professional rugby union player who plays as a fly-half for Premiership Rugby club Harlequins. Born in the Philippines, he represents England at international level after qualifying on ancestry grounds and residency having lived in the UK since the age of 13.

William St Lawrence Webb Collier is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a tighthead prop for Top 14 club Castres Olympique.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cameron Redpath</span> Scotland international rugby union player

Cameron Redpath is a professional rugby union player who plays as a centre for Premiership Rugby club Bath. Born in France, he represents Scotland at international level after qualifying on ancestry grounds. His father, Bryan Redpath, is a former Scotland captain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Will Stuart</span> England international rugby union prop

William James Stuart is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a prop for Premiership Rugby club Bath and the England national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curtis Langdon</span> England international rugby union player

Curtis John Langdon is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a hooker for Premiership Rugby club Northampton Saints.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Mitchell (rugby union)</span> English rugby union footballer

Alexander Arthur David Mitchell is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half for Premiership Rugby club Northampton Saints and the England national team.

Beck Cutting is an English rugby union player. He plays for Ampthill in the RFU Championship.

Tom West is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a loosehead prop, for Northampton Saints in Premiership Rugby. He previously played for Leicester Tigers and Wasps, also in Premiership Rugby.

Charles Joseph Atkinson is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a fly-half for Gallagher Premiership club Gloucester Rugby.

Arron James Reed is a Scotland international rugby union player who plays as a wing for Premiership Rugby club Sale Sharks. Born in England, he represents Scotland at international level qualifying on ancestry grounds from his father, who was from Linlithgow.

Bevan Rodd is a professional rugby union player who plays as a prop for Premiership Rugby club Sale Sharks. He represents England at international level after qualifying on ancestry grounds.

Tom Roebuck is a Scottish-born English professional rugby union player who plays as a wing for Premiership Rugby club Sale Sharks.

Joseph Carpenter is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a full-back for Premiership Rugby club Sale Sharks.

Tarek Haffar is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a loose-head prop for Premiership Rugby club Northampton Saints.

Arthur Green is an English rugby union player who plays for Bath Rugby.

References

  1. ↑ "A. Opoku-Fordjour". Ultimate Rugby. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  2. ↑ "Asher Opoku-Fordjour". All Rugby. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  3. ↑ "Opoku-Fordjour eyeing up Under-20 World Cup target". Chardandilminsteenews. 23 March 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  4. ↑ Schofield, Daniel (15 December 2023). "'As rare as teddy bear s---': Asher Opoku-Fordjour is English rugby's new prop sensation" . The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  5. ↑ Savage, Angus (27 April 2023). "England U19: Alan Dickens names Men's side to face Italy - Bedford Blues host U19 International on Friday Night". Nextgenxv.com. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  6. ↑ "Sale Sharks sign two Wasps stars with immediate effect". Ruck.co.uk. 17 November 2022. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  7. ↑ Kelleher, Will (4 November 2024). "Trampoline fights and rare athleticism for a prop: making of Asher Opoku-Fordjour" . The Times . Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  8. ↑ Heal, Chris (7 July 2023). "Asher Opoku-Fordjour Interview: The dynamic prop who is impressing at the World U20s". Talking Rugby Union. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  9. ↑ Westerby, John (3 November 2023). "Prop idols: Meet the youngsters who can rebuild England's scrum" . The Times . Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  10. ↑ Heagney, Liam (1 December 2023). "The massive compliment Joe Marler paid to a teenage Sale tighthead". Rugby Pass. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  11. ↑ "Congratulations to our two #15Under23 #MVP's for November..." X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  12. ↑ "Sale second-half power show sinks Leicester". BBC Sport. 1 December 2024. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  13. ↑ "England prop Opoku-Fordjour extends Sale deal". BBC Sport. 16 January 2025. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
  14. ↑ Francis, Nick (26 June 2023). "Runaway England prop obliterates half the Ireland team at World Championship". Rugbyonslaught.com. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  15. ↑ undefined, undefined (15 March 2024). "England U20s champions after stunning win in France - U6N Landing Page". www.sixnationsrugby.com. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  16. ↑ "Under-20 Six Nations: England come from behind to beat France and clinch title". BBC Sport. 15 March 2024. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  17. ↑ Meagher, Gerard (19 July 2024). "England dominate France to claim fourth World Rugby under-20 title". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  18. ↑ "England overpower France to win Under-20 World Cup". BBC Sport. 19 July 2024. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  19. ↑ Morgan, Charlie (6 November 2024). "Gabriel Ibitoye called up to England A squad for Australia fixture" . The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  20. ↑ Telfer, Alastair (17 November 2024). "Murley scores twice as England A beat Australia A". BBC Sport. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  21. ↑ "England call up Opoku-Fordjour in 36-player squad". BBC Sport. 3 November 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  22. ↑ Meagher, Gerard (21 November 2024). "Prop Asher Opoku-Fordjour set to make England bow against Japan". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
  23. ↑ Mann, Mantej (24 November 2024). "Nine-try England thrash Japan 59-14 to end losing run - reaction". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
  24. ↑ Lyall, Jamie (11 January 2024). "Asher Opoku-Fordjour: 'Sale, England, the Lions... I want to do it all'". Rugby Pass. Retrieved 11 January 2024.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.