View source for Denis Betts

{{short description|Pro RL coach and former GB & England international rugby league footballer}}
{{EngvarB|date=April 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2015}}
{{Infobox rugby league biography
|name                = Denis Betts
|fullname            = Denis Charles Betts<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=jhsOBFk%2FslooNaNYa6aqhg&scan=1|title=Index entry|access-date=18 July 2017|work=FreeBMD|publisher=ONS}}</ref>
|image               = Denis Betts.jpg
|image_size          = 180
|caption             = 
|birth_date          = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1969|9|14}}
|birth_place         = [[Salford, Greater Manchester|Salford]], Lancashire, England
|death_date          = 
|death_place         = 
|height              = {{convert|6|ft|0|in|m|abbr=on}}<ref>{{cite news|title=Playing the ball with Denis Betts|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sportacademy/hi/sa/rugby_league/video_masterclasses/newsid_3564000/3564781.stm|website=bbc.co.uk|date=24 March 2004|publisher=[[BBC]]|access-date=25 February 2018}}</ref>
|weight              = {{convert|15|st|0|lb|kg|abbr=on}}
|retired             = yes
|position            = [[Rugby league positions#Second row|Second row]]
|club1               = [[Wigan Warriors|Wigan]]
|year1start          = 1986
|year1end            = 95
|appearances1        = 160
|tries1              =  20
|goals1              = 0
|fieldgoals1         = 0
|points1             = 78
|club2               = {{nowrap|[[Auckland Warriors]]}}
|year2start          = 1995
|year2end            = 97
|appearances2        = 42
|tries2              = 11
|goals2              = 0
|fieldgoals2         = 0
|points2             = 44
|club3               = [[Wigan Warriors]]
|year3start          = 1998
|year3end            = 01
|appearances3        = 116
|tries3              = 34
|goals3              = 0
|fieldgoals3         = 0
|points3             = 138
|teamA               = [[Great Britain national rugby league team|Great Britain]]
|yearAstart          = 1990
|yearAend            = 99
|appearancesA        = 32
|triesA              = 8
|goalsA              = 0
|fieldgoalsA         = 0
|pointsA             = 32
|teamB               = [[Lancashire rugby league team|Lancashire]]
|yearBstart          = 1991
|yearBend            = 
|appearancesB        = 1
|triesB              = 0
|goalsB              = 0
|fieldgoalsB         = 0
|pointsB             = 0
|teamC               = [[England national rugby league team|England]]
|yearCstart          = 1995
|yearCend            = 
|appearancesC        = 4
|triesC              = 1
|goalsC              = 0
|fieldgoalsC         = 0
|pointsC             = 4
|coachteam1          = {{nowrap|[[Wigan Warriors]]}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=465|title=Wigan Rugby League - Coaching Register|website=CherryAndWhite|access-date=12 June 2015|archive-date=9 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180609145026/http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=465|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|coachyear1start     = 2004
|coachyear1end       = 05
|coachgames1         = 
|coachwins1          = 
|coachdraws1         = 
|coachlosses1        = 
|coachteam2          = [[Widnes Vikings]]
|coachyear2start     = 2010
|coachyear2end       = 18
|coachgames2         = 233
|coachwins2          = 94
|coachdraws2         = 6
|coachlosses2        = 132
| coachteam3      = {{nowrap|[[Newcastle Thunder]]}}
| coachyear3start = 2022
| coachyear3end   = 
| coachgames3     = 1
| coachwins3      = 1
| coachdraws3     = 0 
| coachlosses3    = 0
| coachteam4      = {{nowrap|[[Wigan Warriors Women]]}}
| coachyear4start = 2024
| coachyear4end   = present
| coachgames4     = 0
| coachwins4      = 0
| coachdraws4     = 0 
| coachlosses4    = 0
|updated             = 24 October 2023
|source              = <ref name="Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/denis-betts/summary.html|title=Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org|publisher=rugbyleagueproject.org|date=31 December 2017|access-date=1 January 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Rugby league records |id=3612 |title=Denis Betts |access-date=5 August 2023}}</ref><ref name="Coach Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/coaches/denis-betts/summary.html|title=Coach Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org|publisher=rugbyleagueproject.org|date=31 December 2017|access-date=1 January 2018}}</ref>
}}
'''Denis Charles Betts''' (born 14 September 1969) is an English [[rugby league]] coach and former player. He is the head-coach of [[Wigan Warriors Women]] and a former assistant coach of the [[England national rugby league team|England national team]].

A {{rlp|sr}}, Betts played in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s for the [[Wigan Warriors]], with whom he won numerous titles, and for the [[New Zealand Warriors|Auckland Warriors]]. He won four caps for England and 32 for [[Great Britain national rugby league team|Great Britain]], setting a record for a forward. He played in two [[Rugby League World Cup]]s, in [[1989–1992 Rugby League World Cup|1989-92]] and [[1995 Rugby League World Cup|1995]], including playing in the finals of both.

==Early life==
Betts was born on 14 September 1969 in [[Salford, Greater Manchester|Salford]], Lancashire and attended Clarendon High School. He has a younger brother, Darren Betts – also a talented rugby and footballer who played for [[Salford Red Devils|Salford]] in the 1990s. Betts was himself a former [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] youth team player.

Betts signed for Wigan from Leigh Miners<ref name = "Leighminers">{{Cite web|url=http://www.leighminersrangers.net/openage/?page_id=54|title=Leigh Miners Rangers – About Us|accessdate=25 October 2021}}</ref> ARL (also known as Leigh Rangers) on 14 October 1986.

==Playing career==
Betts was a part of the hugely successful Wigan team of the 1980s, and 90's, his own medal haul including six [[Rugby Football League Championship|Championship]]s, seven Rugby League [[Challenge Cup]]s, three [[Rugby League Premiership|Premiership]]s, four [[League Cup (rugby league)|John Player/Regal Trophies]], and two [[RFL Lancashire Cup|Lancashire Cup]]s. He also received the [[Lance Todd Trophy]] (1991) and the coveted [[Man of Steel Award]] (1995). He featured in three [[World Club Challenge]] matches for Wigan, winning two, against [[Penrith Panthers]] in 1991 and [[Brisbane Broncos]] in 1994.{{citation needed|date=October 2022}}

In 1995, at the height of the [[Super League War]] he signed a lucrative deal with the [[Auckland Warriors]], one of the new clubs, coached by former Wigan coach John Monie.

Later that year Betts became the first player to win both [[England national rugby league team|England]] and [[Great Britain Lions|Great Britain]] caps while not playing in the English leagues. With former Wigan team-mate [[Shaun Edwards]] ruled out by injury, Betts captained England from the second row in the [[1995 Rugby League World Cup final]] at [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley Stadium]], but [[Australian Kangaroos|Australia]] won the match 16–8 and retained the [[Rugby League World Cup|World Cup]]. Betts' selection as captain of England meant he was the first player given the honour while not playing in the English leagues.{{citation needed|date=October 2022}}

During the [[1996 Auckland Warriors season]] Betts captained the club. He was selected as vice captain for the [[1996 Great Britain Lions tour]] of Papua New Guinea, Fiji and New Zealand, playing in all Tests against host nations at {{rlp|sr}}. The [[1997 Super League (Australia) season|1997 season]] was Betts' last with the Auckland Warriors as he returned to England to continue playing for Wigan.

Betts returned to play in the [[1998 Wigan Warriors season]] in Europe's [[Super League]] competition, and played in the side which lost the [[1998 Challenge Cup]] Final to [[Sheffield Eagles]]. He missed Wigan's [[1998 Super League Grand Final]] victory that year through injury. Betts scored Wigan's opening try in the last game at [[Central Park (Wigan)|Central Park]], and their first try at the [[JJB Stadium]].

At the end of 1999's [[Super League IV]], Betts was selected to play for Great Britain in the [[1999 Rugby League Tri-Nations|1999 Tri-Nations]] tournament in both of their matches against New Zealand and Australia.

Betts played for Wigan in their [[2000 Super League Grand Final]] loss to [[St Helens R.F.C.|St. Helens]], and their [[2001 Super League Grand Final|2001 Grand Final]] loss to the [[Bradford Bulls]]. He was persuaded to retire from playing at the age of 32, to help Wigan get under the salary cap.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/sport/rugby_league/s/182/182081_wigan_blow_as_betts_off.html |title=Wigan blow as Betts off |work=Manchester Evening News |access-date=26 September 2011 |archive-date=12 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121112210653/http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/sport/rugby_league/s/182/182081_wigan_blow_as_betts_off.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In total, Betts made 32 appearances for Great Britain, the joint highest ever for a forward, and toured three times, in [[1990 Great Britain Lions tour|1990]], [[1992 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand|1992]] and [[1996 Great Britain Lions tour|1996]]. He also captained England in the [[1995 Rugby League World Cup|1995]] [[Rugby League World Cup final|World Cup final]], which they lost to Australia at Wembley in front of 66,540 fans.

==Coaching career==
At the end of 2001, Betts moved into coaching as Under-18s coach at the Wigan Warriors, and progressed to under-21s, which he led to victory in the 2003 U21 Grand Final.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wiganwarriorsfans.com/index.php|title=WiganWarriorsFans.com - Index page|website=Wiganwarriorsfans.com}}</ref> In July 2003, [[Stuart Raper]] was sacked as the Wigan Warriors coach, and he was replaced by [[Mike Gregory]]. Gregory then appointed Betts as his assistant. the Wigan Warriors' results improved and they went on reach the Grand Final, only to lose to [[Bradford Bulls]]. The following season, the Wigan Warriors reached another final, losing this time to [[St Helens R.F.C.|St. Helens]] in the [[Challenge Cup]] Final. Betts then took temporary charge in May 2004 when Gregory stepped down due to illness. He held the position for a year before he was moved sideways by the club to make way for the appointment of new head coach [[Ian Millward]], who had left [[St Helens R.F.C.|St. Helens]] just two weeks earlier and was recruited for his experience. Betts continued to work under Millward until the end of the 2005's [[Super League X]] but left in November after refusing to take a post as coach of the academy Under-21 team.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2006/jan/11/rugbyunion.gdnsport3?INTCMP=SRCH| location=London| newspaper=[[The Guardian]]| first=Ian| last=Malin| title=Rugby union: Gloucester gamble on Betts to help continue revival| date=11 January 2006}}</ref>

In January 2006 he took up a post as skills and development coach with [[English Premiership (rugby union)|Guinness Premiership]] [[rugby union]] club [[Gloucester RFC|Gloucester]], a position which he left during June 2010,<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/my_club/gloucester/8751230.stm| work=BBC News| title=Coach Betts departs Gloucester| date=21 June 2010}}</ref> despite having another year on his contract. Speaking about his time at Gloucester, he said ''"It's a really passionate place and I hope they can get the success they deserve. I really enjoyed the place, especially the match-day atmosphere and the Shed."''<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/Gloucester-Rugby-s-skills-coach-Denis-Betts-hails-soul-Kingsholm/story-11892755-detail/story.html |title=Gloucester Rugby's former skills coach Denis Betts hails the soul of Kingsholm |work=This is Gloucestershire |access-date=27 September 2011 |archive-date=9 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120609124745/http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/Gloucester-Rugby-s-skills-coach-Denis-Betts-hails-soul-Kingsholm/story-11892755-detail/story.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

While at Gloucester, Betts emerged as a surprise contender for the vacant England coaching job,<ref name="Betts in frame for England job">{{cite web|url=http://www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=rleague/10/03/29/RUGBYL_England.html|title=Betts in frame for England job|publisher=Sportinglife|date=29 March 2010|access-date=29 March 2010}}</ref> which he applied for in March 2010, ultimately losing out to [[Bradford Bulls]]' [[Steve McNamara]].

In November 2010, Betts was appointed coach of [[RFL Championship|Championship]] club; the Widnes Vikings.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2010/nov/10/denis-betts-widnes-coach| location=London| work=The Guardian| first=Andy| last=Wilson| title=Denis Betts returns as head coach of Widnes| date=10 November 2010}}</ref> In May 2011, he was reappointed to manage the Widnes Vikings into the Super League in 2012.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2011/may/10/denis-betts-widnes-super-league?INTCMP=SRCH| location=London| work=The Guardian| title=Denis Betts to lead Widnes Vikings in Super League| date=10 May 2011}}</ref>

Betts was appointed assistant coach to [[Wayne Bennett (rugby league)|Wayne Bennett]] with England in April 2016. England finished third in the [[2016 Rugby League Four Nations|2016 Four Nations]], and were runners-up in the [[2017 Rugby League World Cup|2017 World Cup]].

In May 2018 the Widnes Vikings terminated Betts' contract with immediate effect. Due to the Widnes Vikings poor run with winning only three games out of twelve.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/44317074|title = Widnes part company with coach Betts|work = BBC Sport}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[http://wigan.rlfans.com/readarticle.php?article_id=170 Denis Betts Wigan Playing Career Page] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090827103004/http://wigan.rlfans.com/readarticle.php?article_id=170 |date=27 August 2009 }} on the Wigan RL Fansite.
*[http://wigan.rlfans.com/readarticle.php?article_id=1158 Denis Betts Wigan Coaching Career Page] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120325095452/http://wigan.rlfans.com/readarticle.php?article_id=1158 |date=25 March 2012 }} on the Wigan RL Fansite.
*[archived by web.archive.org) [https://web.archive.org/web/20100114184847/http://totalrl.com/features/content.php?feat_id=270&featcat_id=32 When Britain defeated the Aussies]
*(https://stats.rugbyleaguerecords.com/playersummary.php?tselect=3612] 
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|list1= 
{{Wigan - 1988–89 Challenge Cup Final winners}}
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{{Wigan - 1990–91 Challenge Cup Final winners}}
{{Wigan RLFC - 1991 World Club Challenge winners}}
{{Wigan - 1991–92 Challenge Cup Final winners}}
{{Wigan - 1992–93 Challenge Cup Final winners}}
{{Wigan - 1993–94 Challenge Cup Final winners}}
{{Wigan - 1994 World Club Challenge winners}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Betts, Denis}}
[[Category:1969 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:England national rugby league team captains]]
[[Category:England national rugby league team players]]
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