Frankie Horne

{{Infobox rugby biography

| name = Frankie Horne

| image =

| fullname = Francis Henry Horne

| birth_date = {{nowrap|{{birth date and age|df=yes|1983|02|24}}}}

| birth_place = Port Elizabeth, South Africa

| height = {{height|m=1.83}}

| weight = {{cvt|105|kg|lb stlb}}

| nickname =

| occupation =

| school = Hugenote Hoërskool, Wellington

| university =

| relatives =

| position = Flanker

| currentclub =

| youthyears1 = 2002–2003

| youthclubs1 = {{Rut|Boland Cavaliers}}

| years1 = 2005–2008

| clubs1 = {{Rut|Boland Cavaliers}}

| apps1 = 22

| points1 = 0

| amatyears1 = 2002–2007

| amatteam1 = Wellington

| amatapps1 =

| amatpoints1 =

| repyears1 = 2007–2016

| repteam1 = South Africa Sevens

| repcaps1 = 60

| reppoints1 = 275

| clubupdate = 9 December 2014

| repupdate = 9 December 2014

| medals =

{{MedalCountry | {{RSA}} }}

}}

Francis Henry Horne (born 24 February 1983) is a South African rugby union player who played for the South African Sevens team from 2007 until 2016.{{SA Rugby Player Profile | id=25947 | name=Frankie Horne | date=29 May 2016}}

He also played 15-man rugby for Wellington in club rugby and for the {{Rut|Boland Cavaliers}} at provincial level. He mainly played as a flanker, but also played as a hooker or a centre on occasion.

Career

=Youth and amateur rugby=

Horne was born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Having grown up in Wellington in the Western Cape, Horne first played rugby at a provincial level when he appeared for the {{Rut|Boland U19}} side in the 2002 Under-19 Provincial Championship. In 2003, he also represented the side at Under-20 level.

He also represented Boland-based club side Wellington between 2002 and 2006.

=Boland Cavaliers=

He made his first class debut for the {{Rut|Boland Cavaliers}} during the 2005 Vodacom Cup competition, starting their opening match of the season against the {{Rut|Pumas}} and helping them to a 34–20 victory.{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=11551 | homeid=5115 | awayid=5126 | leagueid=378 | hometeam=Boland Cavaliers | homescore=34 | awayscore=20 | awayteam=@tlantic Pumas | matchdate=11 March 2005 | date=5 July 2016}} He made two more substitute appearances in their matches against {{Rut|Griquas}}{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=11514 | homeid=5115 | awayid=5124 | leagueid=378 | hometeam=Boland Cavaliers | homescore=29 | awayscore=15 | awayteam=Wildeklawer Griquas | matchdate=19 March 2005 | date=5 July 2016}} and the {{Rut|Leopards}}{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=11537 | homeid=5115 | awayid=5125 | leagueid=378 | hometeam=Boland Cavaliers | homescore=28 | awayscore=37 | awayteam=Impala Leopards | matchdate=22 April 2005 | date=5 July 2016}} as his side finished second in Section X of the competition to reach the semi-final of the competition. He also represented Boland's amateur side in the Provincial Amateur Competition in 2005.

In the 2006 Vodacom Cup, Horne made a solitary appearance for the Cavaliers in their match against the {{Rut|Free State XV}},{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=12775 | homeid=5627 | awayid=5621 | leagueid=411 | hometeam=Fidentia Boland Cavaliers | homescore=20 | awayscore=34 | awayteam=Vodacom Cheetahs | matchdate=13 April 2006 | date=5 July 2016}} but he didn't go unnoticed by the South African Sevens selectors and earned a call-up to a Sevens training group at the end of 2006.{{cite web | url=http://152.111.1.87/argief/berigte/dieburger/2006/11/08/SK/15/djkabamba.html | title=Kabamba lei SA se Blitsbokke op veld | publisher=Die Burger | date=8 November 2006 | access-date=9 December 2014 | language=af | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141209114721/http://152.111.1.87/argief/berigte/dieburger/2006/11/08/SK/15/djkabamba.html | archive-date=9 December 2014 | url-status=dead }}

He once again had limited involvement in the 2007 Vodacom Cup, playing off the bench on two occasions as the replacement hooker. However, he was included in the {{Rut|Boland Cavaliers}} Currie Cup side for the 2007 Currie Cup Premier Division. He made his Currie Cup debut on 22 June 2007 against the {{Rut|Free State Cheetahs}} in Bloemfontein,{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=14300 | homeid=6294 | awayid=6295 | leagueid=588 | hometeam=Vodacom Free State Cheetahs | homescore=91 | awayscore=3 | awayteam=Boland Kavaliers | matchdate=22 June 2007 | date=5 July 2016}} being on the wrong end of a 91–3 scoreline. After three more matches that saw Horne play-off the bench, he made his first start in their 50–25 defeat to the {{Rut|Sharks (Currie Cup)}}{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=14338 | homeid=6296 | awayid=6295 | leagueid=588 | hometeam=The Sharks | homescore=50 | awayscore=25 | awayteam=Boland Kavaliers | matchdate=14 September 2007 | date=5 July 2016}} and eventually made a total of eight appearances.

Despite mainly being involved with the South African Sevens side (see below), he did return to provincial action for the {{Rut|Boland Cavaliers}} during the 2008 Currie Cup Premier Division, starting on five occasions and playing off the bench in one match.

=South African Sevens=

When the South African Rugby Union introduced central contracts for sevens players in 2007, Horne was one of the players that they contracted for the 2007–08 IRB Sevens World Series.{{cite web | url=http://152.111.1.87/argief/berigte/dieburger/2007/11/16/KS/42/SPT-SEWES.html | title=Sewes nie meer stiefkind | publisher=Die Burger | date=16 November 2007 | access-date=9 December 2014 | language=af | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141209114321/http://152.111.1.87/argief/berigte/dieburger/2007/11/16/KS/42/SPT-SEWES.html | archive-date=9 December 2014 | url-status=dead }} He made his sevens debut at the 2007 Dubai Sevens tournament and immediately established himself as a key player for the team, appearing in all eight tournaments in the series.

He once again played every leg of the 2008–09 IRB Sevens World Series, as South Africa won the series for the first time at their tenth attempt. He also played in the 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens competition, helping South Africa to the quarter-finals, where they lost to Argentina. He also won a bronze medal with the side at the 2009 World Games in Kaohsiung, Republic of China (Taiwan).

He remained an ever-present for the side over the next few seasons. During the 2013 London Sevens, Horne played in his 50th consecutive IRB Sevens World Series tournament, becoming the first player to achieve this feat.{{cite web | url=http://www.sabc.co.za/news/a/6aacea804f91be288c20ee0b5d39e4bb/Horne-to-rewrite-Sevens-history-books-20131005 | title=Horne to rewrite Sevens history books | publisher=SABC | date=10 May 2013 | access-date=9 December 2014}}

He was also selected in the squad that played at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and helped his side to a 17–12 victory over a New Zealand that won the previous four tournaments.{{cite web | url=http://results.glasgow2014.com/event/rugby_sevens/rum400101/mens_rugby_sevens_gold_medal_match.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140730075720/http://results.glasgow2014.com/event/rugby_sevens/rum400101/mens_rugby_sevens_gold_medal_match.html | url-status=usurped | archive-date=30 July 2014 | title=Glasgow 2014 – Men's Rugby Sevens Gold Medal Match | publisher=Glasgow 2014 – XX Commonwealth Games | date=3 August 2014 | access-date=14 August 2014}}

Horne was not selected in the South Africa squad for the 2016 Olympics, and he retired from the South Africa sevens team at the end of 2016.