Pete Horne, the most capped player from Howe of Fife RFC and a veteran of 13 seasons with Glasgow Warriors and Scotland, is to retire from playing at the end of the season.
Horne (32) will stay in rugby as the new head coach of Ayrshire Bulls Super6 team, but is following his best friend and fellow Howe product Chris Fusaro in hanging up his boots.
Horne and Fusaro played together in mini-rugby at Howe, in the last state school to win the Scottish Schools Cup-winning with Bell Baxter HS, through Scotland Under-20s, Glasgow and Scotland.
Horne’s younger brother George took the same path and the brothers have played for their country together on seven occasions. The last was Pete’s 45th and final international against Japan in the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
‘A dream come true’
📽️ 13 years for club and country.
From walking into the wrong dressing room to taking on the world with his wee brother – we sat down with Pete to reflect on one incredible career.#OnceAWarriorAlwaysAWarrior pic.twitter.com/vPEHIorLN3
— Glasgow Warriors (@GlasgowWarriors) December 15, 2021
“I know I’m so very lucky to have experienced all that I have,” he said. “To have done so playing with my childhood best friend and my little brother has been a dream come true.
“I have relished every moment of my 13 years and look back on it with only the happiest of memories and great pride.”
Horne won 45 caps in all, erasing what many believed to be the unsurpassable record of Howe legend Dave Rollo. Pete also played in two World Cups in 2015 and 2019. Perhaps the most memorable of his six international tries was in the epic quarter-final against Australia at Twickenham in 2015.
Although he played for Howe, Dundee HSFP, Melrose and Stirling County coming through, once in the pros Pete was a one-club man.
He made 182 appearances over 13 years with the Warriors, contributing 446 points. Although signed as a full-back, Pete played mostly centre and occasionally stand-off for Glasgow.
Horne was the Warriors’ player of the year in 2013. He was a key figure in Glasgow’s championship-winning season of 2014/15 and named to the league Dream Team that year.
Inspired by the best coaches
For a succession of coaches at Scotstoun, Horne’s reliability and work ethic made him a fixture for the club. His tactical awareness as a player – and the bloodlines from dad Garry, Howe coach for many years – always earmarked him as a potential coach of the future.
“I feel incredibly fortunate to be retiring on my own terms, after a career I’m immensely proud of,” he said. “Having played under some of the very best coaches in the game, I have been inspired to make the move into coaching myself.
“Thank you to all who have supported me on my journey so far. I will forever be grateful to easch and every one of you.”
Al Kellock, his former team mate and now Glasgow chief executive, said Horne’s career had been “inspirational.”
‘His standards never wavered’
“From winning the Schools Cup with Bell Baxter and his time with Howe, to all the memorable moments he’s had in a Glasgow and Scotland shirt, his standards never wavered,” said the former Scotland captain.
“He’s been a phenomenal team-mate and friend to so many as Glasgow. I’ve had the privilege of playing with him and seeing the influence he has had in shaping the club.
“He is a first class professional who takes a huge amount of pride in making sure he us exactly where he needs to be. He has a bright future ahead of him and will always remain close to the heart of this club.”
Head coach Danny Wilson said that Horne has been a valued member of the leadership group for years at Glasgow
“It’s rare in the modern game for a player to spend his whole career at one club,” he said. “Pete’s passion and commitment to the Warriors should be celebrated.
“His attention to detail in preparation is outstanding. Recently his work mentoring our younger players and ensuring the team take the field fully prepared has been fantastic.”