Ben and Owen Franks are professional rugby players for the New Zealand All Blacks, winners of the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Take a peek into their lives and see how they balance training, family and nutrition.
In addition to their sports-specific training, both brothers are dedicated CrossFitters and run their own affiliate: Reebok CrossFit Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. For them, both rugby and CrossFitting are a family affair; their father Ken is the director of coaching for Reebok CrossFit Canterbury.
In this Part 1, the family and their coaches share how the brothers became professional rugby players.
“From a young age, we were always training down at the park and going for runs, and Dad had us throwing all sorts of stuff,” Owen says. Once they reached their teens, the boys decided they wanted to be professional rugby players.
“For me, there was no other option in life but to become an All Black, and it was always in my head, you know, growing up and playing rugby,” Owen says.
The brothers show how hard they train and how training together has helped them both succeed.
“Pretty much we’ve always trained together,” Ben says. “It’s pretty special having two All Blacks in one family. It’s pretty unique.”
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18min 27sec
Part 2 will be published Sunday, Jan. 8, at 4 p.m. PST. It covers the Franks brothers throughout the 2011 rugby season and includes events such as the devastating earthquake in their hometown and their victory at the Rugby World Cup.
Additional video: All Black in Bonsall by Mike Burgener, published March 16, 2010.