The South Sydney Rabbitohs are mourning the passing of former trainer and junior player, Larry Horne.
Larry started playing Rugby League at just five years-of-age for the Waterloo Waratahs in the South Sydney juniors competition. He played there for a number of seasons before moving over as the cheeky halfback for the Alexandria Rovers.
Larry played in junior representative teams for Souths but had two shoulder reconstructions that led him to a path of strength and conditioning trainer. For 12 years he was the strength and conditioner for the South Sydney SG Ball and Jersey Flegg teams, as well as assisting Head Coach Frank Curry with the Rabbitohs’ grade teams for a number of years in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
He would train the players hard at Redfern Oval and in the Erskineville Oval gym, an environment in which he absolutely loved working. He would write up the training session on the white board and put the boys names down who had not given their best effort, making them do extras.
Whilst he had fun, Larry was serious about making sure the players were fit and ready to play. He did a lot of rehab sessions for injured players to get them back to game ready. His reward, the season of matches followed by the end of year footy trips away!
After finishing with South Sydney he continued to give back to the game he loved as a trainer with the Matraville Tigers’ A-grade side.
Larry took great pleasure in watching his son Mat progress through the grades with Souths Juniors, travelling with the team up and down the east coast watching them play.
For the last seven years, Larry has continued to support his three grandchildren with their footballing dreams, spending every Sunday morning watching their games for the South Eastern Seagulls and Coogee-Randwick Wombats, offering advice here and there.
In a tribute to Larry, Alexandria Rovers retired the number seven jersey last weekend and held a minute’s silence in his honour.
Footy was his life and a game he loved and cherished so much.
On behalf of everyone connected to the South Sydney Rabbitohs, we offer our deepest and most sincere condolences to the family and friends of Mr Larry Horne.
