"Roy Francis: Breaking Barriers as a Black Rugby League Pioneer"

# Hull FC’s Historic Season Began 70 Years Ago Under Pioneer Roy Francis

Seventy years ago this week, Hull FC embarked on one of their most successful seasons. Coached by Roy Francis, they claimed their first league title in two decades with a narrow 10-9 victory over Halifax at Maine Road. Francis was not just a brilliant coach—he was also a black man leading a team in the racially conservative 1950s. In Rugby’s Forgotten Black Leader, Tony Collins describes Francis as "quite possibly the only black individual to hold a leadership position over white people in any field in Britain at the time." His story was extraordinary.

Until recently, little had been written in detail about Francis, but two books have now shed light on his legacy. Peter Lush’s Ahead of his Time chronicles his impressive playing and coaching career, while Collins expands the focus to explore Francis’s remarkable life beyond rugby.

Born in 1919 in the Welsh town of Brynmawr, Francis came from an unconventional background. His mother, Alice May Evans, was the teenage daughter of a farmer, while his father, Lionel, a 37-year-old from Trinidad, lived an exceptional life. After working as a miner and preacher in Wales, Lionel later became a civil rights advocate in New York and entered politics in Belize. Leadership clearly ran in the family—Roy’s half-brother, Arthur Dibbin, was a renowned jazz musician who played alongside Snakehips Johnson.

Francis himself was a skilled player, beginning his career at Wigan before becoming a prolific try-scorer at Barrow. There, he formed an all-black partnership with Val Cumberbatch, a former England international. He later played for Warrington and Hull, earning caps for Wales and Great Britain.

Like many of his generation, Francis had his playing prime interrupted by the Second World War, losing seven years of his career. Despite being overlooked for the 1946 Lions tour—a decision Collins argues may have been influenced by racial bias—he became the first black man to represent Great Britain in 1947. However, he never toured with the Lions, missing an opportunity that his protégé, Billy Boston, later achieved in 1954.

Though the war disrupted his playing days, it led him toward coaching. Working as a physical training instructor honed his natural leadership and motivational skills, preparing him for his pioneering role in rugby. He became Britain’s first elite-level black coach in any sport and revolutionized Hull FC’s approach.

Francis was ahead of his time—introducing structured pre-season training, specialized sprint drills for his players, and incorporating other sports like basketball and boxing to improve fitness and coordination. His innovations changed the game, leaving a lasting impact long after his era.