Johnathan Francke

Johnathan Francke
Personal information
Full nameJohnathan Charles Francke
Born17 May 1986
Strand, South Africa
Height1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight92 kg (14 st 7 lb)
School(s) attendedStrand Secondary
UniversityBoland College
Club information
Playing positionCentre
Current clubGriquas
Youth career
2007Western Province
Amateur team(s)
YearsTeam
2008–10Maties8(10)
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Pts)
2011–13Boland Cavaliers55(80)
2013–Griquas26(20)
Representative team(s)
2007S.A. Students0(0)
* Senior club appearances and points correct as of 11 October 2014.

† Appearances (Points).

‡ Representative team caps and points correct as of 8 October 2013.

Johnathan Charles Francke (born 17 May 1986 in Strand, South Africa) is a South African rugby union player, currently playing with Griquas.[1] His regular position is outside centre.

Career

Youth and Varsity rugby

In 2007, he played for the Western Province U19 team. He was then included in the Maties Varsity Cup squads in 2008 (without making an appearance), 2009 (where he made one start in their match against the TUT Vikings[2]) and 2010, when he established himself as a first team player, making seven appearances and scoring two tries.

Boland Cavaliers

Francke then joined Wellington-based side Boland Cavaliers. His first class debut came during their 2011 Vodacom Cup match against Griquas in Bredasdorp, also scoring a try a mere seven minutes after coming on.[3] Four more tries followed in six appearances for the remainder of that competition. He was also involved in their Currie Cup squad straight away, playing in a compulsory friendly match against Western Province prior to the 2011 Currie Cup First Division (again marking his debut at this level with a try)[4] and made his debut in the competition proper a few weeks later in a 69–12 victory against the Border Bulldogs.[5]

He remained a regular for the team – mostly as a substitute – that season, helping the Boland Cavaliers to the First Division title, beating the Eastern Province Kings 43–12 in the final.[6] He made several more appearances for them in both the Vodacom Cup and Currie Cup competitions in 2012 and 2013, amassing over fifty appearances for the team.

Griquas

He signed a deal with Kimberley-based outfit Griquas for 2014.[7] With the Boland Cavaliers' season already finished, he actually joined Griquas on loan for the final match of their 2013 Currie Cup Premier Division regular season, being named in their starting line-up for their match against the Golden Lions.[8]

In July 2014, he extended his contract until the end of 2016.[9]

References

  1. "SARU Player Profile Johnathan Francke". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
  2. "Match Breakdown: TUT vs Maties". South African Rugby Union. 2 March 2009. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
  3. "Match Breakdown: Boland Cavaliers vs GWK Griquas". South African Rugby Union. 26 February 2011. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
  4. "Match Breakdown: Boland Cavaliers vs DHL Western Province". South African Rugby Union. 23 June 2011. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
  5. "Match Breakdown: Regent Boland Cavaliers vs Border Bulldogs". South African Rugby Union. 16 July 2011. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
  6. "Match Breakdown: Regent Boland Cavaliers vs Eastern Province Kings". South African Rugby Union. 14 October 2011. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
  7. "Stut-skok vir GW, Cheetahs". Media24 (in Afrikaans). Beeld. 15 August 2013. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  8. "Griquas keep their powder dry". Rugby365. 8 October 2013. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
  9. "Griekwas behou 4 sterre" (in Afrikaans). Volksblad. 25 July 2014. Retrieved 25 July 2014.