Horace William Finlinson
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox rugby biography
| name = Horace William Finlinson
| image = File:Horace_William_Finlinson.jpg
| birth_name = Horace William Finlinson
| birth_date = 9 June 1871
| birth_place = Bedford, England
| death_date = {{death date and age|1956|10|31|1871|6|9|df=y}}
| death_place = Bedford, England
| height =
| weight =
| position = Forward
| repteam1 = {{nrut|England}}
| repcaps1 = 3
| reppoints1 =
| ru_ntupdate =
| repyears1 = 1895
| years1 =
| ru_clubupdate =
| apps1 =
| points1 =
| clubs1 = Bedford RUFC
| clubs2 = Blackheath F.C.
| clubs3 = Barbarians FC
| school = Bedford Modern School
}}
Horace William Finlinson (9 June 1871 – 31 October 1956) was an England rugby international.{{cite web|url=http://www.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/player/1131.html|title=Horace Finlinson - Rugby Union - Players and Officials - ESPN Scrum|work=ESPN scrum|accessdate=3 July 2015}}
Life
Horace William Finlinson was born in Bedford, England on 9 June 1871.{{cite web|url=http://www.ancestry.co.uk|title=Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History Records at Ancestry.co.uk|work=ancestry.co.uk|accessdate=3 July 2015}} He was educated at Bedford Modern School where his father was headmaster.The Harpur Trust 1552-1973 by Joyce Godber 1973
Finlinson’s test debut was against Wales at Swansea on 5 January 1895. He played two further internationals that season against Scotland and Ireland. He played his club rugby for Blackheath FC (76 matches 1892-98), and Bedford RUFC (38 matches 1891-1906). He also played for the Barbarians FC.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o-wgCwAAQBAJ&q=Horace+William+Finlinson&pg=PT227|title=One of Us: England's Greatest Rugby Players|first=Phil|last=McGowan|date=15 October 2015|publisher=Amberley Publishing Limited|isbn=9781445651033|accessdate=29 January 2019|via=Google Books}} He later became a schoolmaster at Lancing College.1911 England Census On his retirement he returned to Bedford and served as the club's President from 1933-1945.N. Roy (ed.), '100 Years of the Blues-The Centenary History of Bedford RUFC', (Bedford, 1986), p. 127.
Aside from rugby, Finlinson's main hobby was natural history and he was for many years associated with the Ornithologists' Union and the Zoological Society.Obituary in The Eagle, Magazine of Bedford Modern School, Vol.XXXI(I) No.233, Christmas 1956 Finlinson died in Bedford on 31 October 1956.