Trailblazing codebreaker became UK’s first professional black coach
WHILE Roy Francis may today be an unfamiliar name to many, the story of this successful Welsh codebreaker is one of the most remarkable of its kind.
The Cardiff-born sports star was a trailblazer in his time, fighting against racism throughout his illustrious rugby league career, to become the first ever professional black sports coach in the UK.
He was considered a pioneer by many, and is today recognised in the rugby league community as a talent that was years ahead of his time.
And now, residents right around the borough of Blaenau Gwent, where he was raised, are hoping to celebrate his achievements closer to home as well.
Born in Cardiff in 1919, Roy Francis moved to Brynmawr as a child where he was brought up by his parents Albert and Rebecca in a home near Well Street.
Little is known about his life growing up here, though one thing’s for certain, he played for his local team of Brynmawr RFC as a teenager and soon made a massive impact.
Reports from our sister paper the Merthyr Express in September 1936 highlight a string of “promising performances” from the left winger that quickly caught the eye of lucrative rugby league scouts in the north of England.
Francis left Wales in 1937 after signing for league giants Wigan, where he went on to score a remarkable 229 tries in 356 games.
It was a career that saw the five-cap Wales star play for Barrow, Warrington, Hull and Dewsbury, as well as becoming the first ever black man to play for Great Britain.
However, for Francis, his playing days were not without adversity.
In 1946 when the Great Britain rugby league squad travelled to Australia, the in-form Francis was not selected for the tour simply because of the colour of his skin, during a period where Australia operated under what was known as a colour bar for nonwhite people.
Despite the political controversy that saw him overlooked, former Army sergeant Francis was not to be deterred, making his Great Britain debut just one year later in a clash against New Zealand, where he scored two tries in a 25-9 triumph.
It was this skill and determination that allowed the man from Brynmawr to really make an impact on the game when he turned his attention to coaching, taking the reins at Hull in 1950, and becoming the first black person to coach a professional team in any sport in the UK.
According to Professor Tony Collins, such were his revolutionary coaching methods he deserves to be as well known in Wales as Carwyn James, introducing a number of ideas such as game plans, video recorded training sessions, and individual diet plans for players.
He went on to win two Championships with Hull before taking charge at Leeds in what became a golden age during the 1960s, as well as a later stint in Australia coaching the North Sydney Bears.
Rugby fanatic Ian Haywood lives in Blaenavon where he researches many of the great players in the sport, and said Francis should be regarded as highly as any of them.
He said: “Although Roy was born in
Cardiff we know he spent most of his early years growing up in Brynmawr, and while you wouldn’t know it by talking to locals here, it was a place he always considered to be his home.
“He was a great man when you look at what he achieved in rugby, and it’s honestly a scandal that he’s not better recognised in Wales.
“He played for his local club of Brynmawr
as a teenager before going north to play rugby league where he went on to become a massive star, gaining caps for both Wales and Great Britain.
“His coaching career was just as distinguished as well, and I think the importance of him being the first professional black sports coach in the UK is very significant.
“Not only was Roy a groundbreaker socially in 1950s Britain by taking charge of the team, but also in the way he led them with outstanding skill and tactics.
“He deserves to be remembered here I think, and after speaking with some fans and members of the club we would love to have some kind of statue or plaque put up in the town of Brynmawr to honour his great achievements.”
Roy died on April 5, 1989, at the age of 70, though members at Brynmawr RFC feel the legacy he leaves for sportsmen and women across the UK will never be forgotten.
A spokesman for the club said: “We’re very proud of our former player Roy Francis and the wonderful impact he had on rugby in the UK, as well as on sport in general.
“Not only was he a great player and coach, but a great man in society as well.
“It’s nice to see him now getting the recognition he deserves and we are currently exploring a number of options of how to best remember Roy here at the club.”
Roy Francis featured in Carolyn Hitt’s acclaimed documentary, The Rugby Codebreakers, shown on BBC Wales. It is available to watch on iPlayer.