{{short description|New Zealand rugby union player}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=March 2018}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}} {{Infobox rugby biography | name = Shannon Frizell | image = Shannon Frizell 2019.jpg | image_size = | caption = | fullname = Shannon Michael Frizell | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1994|02|11|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Tongatapu|Folaha]], Tonga | height = {{convert|195|cm|ftin|0|abbr=on}}<ref name="SFrizell">{{cite web|url=https://www.allblacks.com/playerprofiles/shannon-frizell|title=Shannon Frizell player profile|publisher=allblacks.com|accessdate=8 November 2023}}</ref> | weight = {{convert|108|kg|lb stlb|0|abbr=on}}<ref name=SFrizell/> | school = [[Tongatapu|'Apifo'ou College]] | university = | relatives = [[Tyson Frizell]] (brother) | occupation = | spouse = | position = [[Flanker (rugby union)|Flanker]], [[Lock (rugby union)|Lock]], [[Number 8 (rugby union)|Number 8]] | currentclub = {{rut|Tasman}}, {{rut|Highlanders}} | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = | years1 = 2016–2023, 2026– | clubs1 = [[Tasman (National Provincial Championship)|Tasman]] | apps1 = 35 | points1 = 55 | years2 = 2018–2023, 2027– | clubs2 = [[Highlanders (rugby union)|Highlanders]] | apps2 = 68 | points2 = 95 | years3 = 2023–2026 | clubs3 = [[Toshiba Brave Lupus]] | apps3 = 37 | points3 = 105 | repyears1 = 2014 | repteam1 = [[Tonga national under-20 rugby union team|Tonga U20]] | repcaps1 = 4 | reppoints1 = 5 | repyears2 = 2018–2023 | repteam2 = [[New Zealand national rugby union team|New Zealand]] | repcaps2 = 33<!-- Total test international appearances --> | reppoints2 = 40<!-- Total test international points --> | repyears3 = 2020 | repteam3 = [[South Island rugby union team|South Island]] | repcaps3 = 1 | reppoints3 = 0 | repyears4 = [[2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia|2025]] | repteam4 = [[ANZAC XV]] | repcaps4 = 1 | reppoints4 = 0 | clubupdate = 7 April 2026 | repupdate = 7 April 2026 | medals = {{MedalSport|Men's [[Rugby union]]}} {{MedalCountry|{{ru|NZL}}}} {{MedalCompetition|[[Rugby World Cup]]}} {{MedalBronze|[[2019 Rugby World Cup|2019 Japan]]|[[2019 Rugby World Cup squads|Squad]]}} {{MedalSilver|[[2023 Rugby World Cup|2023 France]]|[[2023 Rugby World Cup squads|Squad]]}} }} '''Shannon Michael Frizell''' (born 11 February 1994) is a Tongan born<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://i.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/76960071/rugby-brothers-tyson-and-shannon-mark-their-mark-on-different-sports-fields|title=Rugby brothers Tyson and Shannon mark their mark on different sports fields|access-date=21 April 2018}}</ref> New Zealand [[rugby union]] player.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mako.nz/shannon-frizell|title=Shannon Frizell|website=Mako.nz|access-date=6 October 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://thehighlanders.co.nz/our-team/player-profiles/53-shannon-frizell|title=Shannon Frizell|website=thehighlanders.co.nz|access-date=6 October 2020}}</ref> His position is [[Rugby union positions|flanker]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.itsrugby.co.uk/players/shannon-frizzell-31777.html|title=Shannon Frizell|website=itsrugby.co.uk|access-date=6 October 2020}}</ref>
==Early life== Frizell was born and raised in Folaha, [[Tonga]] and started his childhood playing football for Folaha Football Club. His adoptive brother, [[Tyson Frizell]], plays in the [[National Rugby League]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/05/04/tyson-frizell-and-the-brother-he-wasnt-allowed-to-grow-up-alongside/|title=Tyson Frizell and the brother he wasn't allowed to grow up alongside|last=Waler|first=Brad|website=nrl.com|language=en|access-date=13 December 2017}}</ref> In 2010 and 2011 he played for the [[Tonga national under-17 football team]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/TongaFootball/photos/a.125783860787963/168819116484437/?type=3&theater|title=Tonga Football National U17 Team|website=Tonga Football|language=en|access-date=13 December 2017}}</ref> He represented the [[Tonga national under-17 football team]] at the [[2011 OFC U-17 Championship]] in [[New Zealand]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.oceaniafootball.com/archives-1579/|title=Tonga 0: Shannon Frizell charges out to deal |website=Oceaniagfootball.com|date=17 January 2011 |language=en|access-date=13 December 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/104936749/shannon-frizell-the-all-black-who-played-football-for-tonga|title=Shannon Frizell, the All Black who played football for Tonga|date=22 June 2018}}</ref>
==Playing career== ===Early career=== In 2011, he switched from Football to Rugby, he started playing for 'Apifo'ou College and represented [[Tonga national under-20 rugby union team|Tonga U20]] at the [[2014 IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy|IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy]] in 2014, before moving to [[New Zealand]] in 2015, initially on a development contract with {{rut|Tasman}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mako.nz/news/meet-shannon-frizell|title=Meet Shannon Frizell}}</ref>
===2018–2019=== On 20 April 2018, Frizell scored three tries against the {{Rut|Blues}} in a [[Super Rugby]] match at [[Eden Park]]. His performances for the Highlanders earned him a call up for New Zealand's national rugby team, the [[New Zealand national rugby union team|All Blacks]], having been tipped by the media for an unlikely All Black debut.
With injury to [[Vaea Fifita]], Frizell made his debut for the All Blacks on 23 June 2018 against France. Frizell started the game at blindside flanker, playing 71 minutes on debut. Frizell had to be taken to the blood bin in the 22nd minute, due to an eye injury, so was temporarily replaced by Highlanders team mate [[Jackson Hemopo]], who was also on debut for New Zealand. Frizell came back on in the 31st minute and stayed on for the rest of the test, which the All Blacks won 49-14.
Frizell went on to start three times for the All Blacks during the [[2018 Rugby Championship]], in the absence of the injured regular starter, [[Liam Squire]]. Frizell was one of the standout performers in the first test against Argentina, on 8 September, playing the full 80 minutes at his homeground in Nelson, scoring his first try for the All Blacks as they won 46-24. Frizell unfortunately failed to make an impact in the final two tests of the competition, including the 32-30 victory over South Africa, on 6 October. It was 6-6 at halftime, with Frizell subbed off 46 minutes into the test.
With Vaea Fifita recalled, Frizell was dropped for the All Blacks end of year tour in 2018. Rookies [[Gareth Evans (rugby union, born August 1991)|Gareth Evans]], [[Dillon Hunt]] and [[Dalton Papalii]] were also chosen over Frizell.
After some strong performances in the [[2019 Super Rugby season]], where he was among the highest try scorers, with six tries, Frizell earned a recall for New Zealand's 39 man [[2019 Rugby Championship|Rugby Championship]] squad.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rugbypass.com/super-rugby/teams/highlanders/players/shannon-frizell/statistics/|title=Match Statistics for Shannon Frizell}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allblacks.com/news/first-all-blacks-squad-of-2019-named|title=First All Blacks squad of 2019 named}}</ref>
In July 2019, Frizell and four other players, including Highlanders teammate, [[Josh Ioane]], were dropped from the All Blacks, having performed poorly against South Africa in a 16-16 draw.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rugbypass.com/news/the-unlucky-five-where-did-the-five-dropped-all-blacks-go-wrong/|title=The Unlucky Five: Where did the five dropped All Blacks go wrong?}}</ref> Frizell was released to Tasman for the [[2019 Mitre 10 Cup]].
[[Luke Jacobson]]'s concussion problems continued, which ruled him out of the [[2019 Rugby World Cup]], to Frizell's benefit. Frizell immediately flew to Japan after Jacobson's injury, to rejoin the 31 man All Blacks squad. He played 1 match off the bench versus South Africa and started against Canada and Namibia scoring a try in the Canada test.
In 2021, Frizell was charged with two counts of assault against a woman, and a further one against a man. On May 9, 2021, Frizell had attacked and punched the two individuals. He also sent an abusive social media message to a friend of one of the victims. A conviction was not recorded after he pled guilty and completed police [[Diversion program|diversion]]. He missed several games for the case, though he was only stood down for one.<ref>{{cite web |title=All Black Shannon Frizell's assault charges dismissed |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/all-black-shannon-frizells-assault-charges-dismissed/D4BKYEVOW6ZZ7K5HEVEQT22HZY/ |access-date=24 September 2021 |website=[[The New Zealand Herald]]}}</ref>
===2020–2023=== Frizell was named in the [[South Island (rugby union)|South Island]] squad for the [[North vs South rugby union match]] in 2020, starting in the number 6 jersey in a 38-35 win for the South.
He continued his stay in the [[All Blacks]], named in the squad for the [[2020 Rugby Championship]] Frizell established himself as the first choice number 6 with starts against [[Australian national rugby union team|Australia]] in a 16-16 draw, a 27-7 win and a 5-43 win.
Frizell was one of the best players during the [[2021 Super Rugby Aotearoa season]] and was again named in the [[All Blacks]] squad to play [[Tonga national rugby union team|Tonga]] and [[Fiji national rugby union team|Fiji]] in the July Steinlager Series.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allblacks.com/news/all-blacks-squad-named-for-steinlager-series/|title=All Blacks squad named for Steinlager Series|website=allblacks.com|access-date=21 June 2021}}</ref>
In Round 1 of the [[2022 Super Rugby Pacific season]] Frizell played his 50th game for the Highlanders against the {{rut|Chiefs}}. 2022 would go on to be a successful season for Frizell, who put behind the off-field issues of 2021 to reclaim his place as the first-choice blindside flanker during the [[2022 Rugby Championship]]; after missing a mid-year series against Ireland due to injury.
After a series of strong performances in the [[2023 Rugby Championship]], including a Man of the Match effort against South Africa, during a 35-20 win in Auckland, Frizell was named in [[Ian Foster (rugby union) | Ian Foster]]'s 33 man squad for the [[2023 Rugby World Cup]]. Frizell played five times during the tournament, scoring two tries against Argentina in the semifinals, to bring his test try scoring total for 2023, to four. After being yellow carded in the World Cup final; his final test match, Frizell was replaced by [[Sam Whitelock]] in the 55th minute, with New Zealand collecting a silver medal after a 11-12 loss.
==Honours== '''New Zealand''' * [[Rugby World Cup]] / [[Webb Ellis Cup]] **Third-place: [[2019 Rugby World Cup|2019]] **Second-place: [[2023 Rugby World Cup|2023]]
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * {{Sport links}}
{{Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo squad}} {{Navboxes |title = Squads |list1 = {{New Zealand 2023 Rugby World Cup squad}} {{New Zealand Squad 2019 Rugby World Cup}} }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Frizell, Shannon}}
[[Category:1994 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Rugby union players from Tongatapu]] [[Category:New Zealand rugby union players]] [[Category:New Zealand international rugby union players]] [[Category:Tongan rugby union players]] [[Category:Tongan emigrants to New Zealand]] [[Category:New Zealand people of Tongan descent]] [[Category:Sportspeople of Tongan descent]] [[Category:Tasman rugby union players]] [[Category:21st-century New Zealand sportsmen]] [[Category:Highlanders (rugby union) players]] [[Category:Rugby union flankers]] [[Category:Rugby union locks]] [[Category:Rugby union number eights]] [[Category:2019 Rugby World Cup players]] [[Category:2023 Rugby World Cup players]] [[Category:Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo players]]