Francke Horn Set to Face All Blacks at Ellis Park
Listen to the story
Rugby player Francke Horn is getting ready to face the All Blacks, New Zealand's national rugby team, at Ellis Park in South Africa.
The match is special for Horn because of his family history. Thirty years ago, in 1996, his father also played against the All Blacks. During that game, his father got a black eye, sometimes called a shiner.
Now, three decades later, Francke Horn hopes to continue his father's story by playing well in this important match. This is often described as carrying on a family legacy, something meaningful passed down through generations.
Another player, Venter, is also preparing for the game. He is set to make his debut for the Lions, meaning this will be his first time playing for the team. He will start the match on the bench, which means he will join the game later rather than at the beginning.
A person named Batho also spoke about the upcoming match. He warned that the Lions cannot afford to be wasteful, meaning they must avoid careless mistakes during the game, especially compared to the Springboks, South Africa's national team, known as the Boks.
The match at Ellis Park is expected to draw plenty of attention from rugby fans, both because of the competition between the Lions and the All Blacks and because of personal stories like Horn's, which connect the present to the past.
As the match approaches, fans and players alike are looking forward to seeing how these storylines unfold on the field.
Vocabulary10 words
- All Blacks
- New Zealand's national rugby team
- Ellis Park
- a big sports stadium in South Africa
- shiner
- a dark bruise around the eye
- legacy
- something important passed down from earlier generations
- debut
- a person's first appearance doing something
- Lions
- a South African rugby team
- bench
- where players wait before joining a game
- wasteful
- using chances badly; careless
- Boks
- a short name for South Africa's national rugby team
- national team
- a team that represents a whole country
Quiz
Answer key
1. He got a black eye during a match against the All Blacks 2. He will start on the bench 3. Being wasteful, like the Springboks
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Rugby player Francke Horn is getting ready to face the _____ at Ellis Park in South Africa.
Thirty years ago, in 1996, his father also played against the All Blacks. During that game, his father got a black eye, sometimes called a _____.
Now, three decades later, Francke Horn hopes to continue his father's story by playing well, often described as carrying on a family _____.
Another player, Venter, is set to make his _____ for the Lions.
He will start the match on the _____, meaning he will join later rather than at the beginning.
A person named Batho warned that the Lions cannot afford to be _____, especially compared to the Springboks, known as the _____.
Discussion questions
- Why might a family connection to a sports match make it more meaningful for fans?
- What does it mean for a player to make their 'debut' for a team?
- Why is it important for teams not to be 'wasteful' during a game?
- How do personal stories, like Horn's family history, add interest to sports news?