Franks has previously represented the Canterbury Rugby Football Union in the Mitre 10 Cup, the Crusaders in the international Super Rugby competition and New Zealand at international level. He made his debut for New Zealand in 2009 and played 108 tests across a 10-year period, making him one of the most-capped rugby players of all time. He was a member of the squads that won the 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Cups, and is one of only 21 players who have won the Rugby World Cup on multiple occasions. Franks did not score any points for New Zealand during his international career.