Roy Francis

Who is Roy Francis?

L. Roy Francis is a Welsh former professional rugby league footballer and coach of the mid 20th century. He was the first Black British professional coach in any sport. Francis was also a highly accomplished player, scoring 229 tries in his 356 career games, chiefly as a winger. A Great Britain and Wales national representative three-quarter back, he played for English clubs Wigan, Barrow, Dewsbury, Warrington and Hull. Francis then became a coach with Hull. Renowned for his innovative coaching methods, he was regarded as a visionary, leading Hull to title success before going on to win the Challenge Cup with Leeds. He then broke further ground by moving on to coach in Australia with the North Sydney Bears before another brief stint at Leeds, and then Bradford Northern.