Roy Francis : Rugby’s Forgotten Black Leader

The remarkable story of one man’s struggle to overcome racism and revolutionise rugby coaching.

In the 1950s and 1960s one man dominated rugby coaching like no other: Roy Francis. He led teams to championships and Wembley finals, revolutionised the art of coaching and inspired his players to incredible achievements. But even more amazingly for those times, he was a Black man in a white world.

As the illegitimate child of a mixed-race couple who gave him up for adoption, his story recounts his upbringing in a Black family living in the Welsh coalfields, a childhood shaped by memories of the 1919 Welsh race riots and, foremost, his gift for rugby. Aged just seventeen, Roy played for Wigan and, despite facing racism, became the first Black player to play for Great Britain in either rugby codes.

Roy Francis became Hull rugby league club coach in 1951 where he introduced video-analysis, sports psychology and personalised training – revolutionary methods which turned a mediocre team into championship winners. His crowning glory came when his Leeds team triumphed in the famous 1968 ‘Watersplash’ Wembley Cup Final, before he headed Down Under as North Sydney Bears club coach.

Through archives, family members’ accounts and former players’ memories, Roy Francis tells the story of a family’s journey from slavery to sporting success, and of a remarkable man who defied prejudice to reach the pinnacle of rugby as a player, coach and leader.