View source for Ray French

{{short description|GB & England dual-code rugby international footballer and sports broadcaster}}
{{for multi|the baseball player|Ray French (baseball)|the American printmaker and artist|Ray H. French}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2016}}
{{Infobox rugby league biography
|first          = RU
|name           = Ray French<br /><small>[[Order of the British Empire|MBE]]</small>
|fullname       = Raymond James French [[Order of the British Empire|MBE]]
|image          =
|image_size     = 
|position       = {{rlp|SR}}
|birth_date     = {{birth date and age|1939|12|23|df=yes}}
|birth_place    = [[St Helens, Merseyside|St Helens]], Lancashire, England
|height         = 
|weight         = 
|club1          = [[St Helens R.F.C.|St. Helens]]
|year1start     = 1961
|year1end       = 67
|appearances1   = 204
|tries1         = 10
|goals1         = 0
|fieldgoals1    = 0 
|points1        = 30
|club2          = [[Widnes Vikings|Widnes]]
|year2start     = 1967
|year2end       = 71
|appearances2   = 123
|tries2         = 6
|goals2         = 0
|fieldgoals2    = 0
|points2        = 18
|ru_club1        = [[Liverpool St Helens F.C.|St Helens RUFC]]
|ru_year1start   = 
|ru_year1end     = 1961
|ru_appearances1 = 
|ru_tries1       = 
|ru_goals1       = 
|ru_fieldgoals1  = 
|ru_points1      = 
|teamA          = [[Great Britain national rugby league team|Great Britain]]
|yearAstart     = 1968
|yearAend       = 
|appearancesA   = 4
|triesA         = 0 
|goalsA         = 0
|fieldgoalsA    = 0 
|pointsA        = 0
|teamB           = [[Lancashire rugby league team|Lancashire]]
|yearBstart      = 196?
|yearBend        = 
|appearanBesB    = 
|triesB          = 0
|goalsB          = 0
|fieldgoalsB     = 0
|pointsB         = 0
|ru_teamA        = [[England national rugby union team|England]]
|ru_yearAstart   = 1961
|ru_yearAend     = 61
|ru_appearancesA = 4
|ru_triesA       = 0 
|ru_goalsA       = 0
|ru_fieldgoalsA  = 0 
|ru_pointsA      = 0
|retired        = yes
|source         = <ref name="Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/ray-french/summary.html|title=Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org|publisher=rugbyleagueproject.org|date=31 December 2017|access-date=1 January 2018}}</ref><!--><ref name="Great Britain Statistics at englandrl.co.uk">{{cite web|url=http://www.englandrl.co.uk/player_records?search=McDermott&submit=Go&c=GB|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213133731/http://www.englandrl.co.uk/player_records?search=McDermott&submit=Go&c=GB|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 December 2013|title=Great Britain Statistics at englandrl.co.uk|publisher=englandrl.co.uk|date=31 December 2017|access-date=1 January 2018}}</ref>-->
|updated        = 
}}

'''Raymond James French''', [[Order of the British Empire|MBE]] (born 23 December 1939)<ref name="Guard2">[https://web.archive.org/web/20090812061655/http://timesonline.typepad.com/rugby_league/2009/08/my-entry-3.html Ray French takes his cup final leave]</ref> is an English former [[rugby league]] and [[rugby union]] footballer who played in the 1950s and 1960s. French played at international level [[List of dual-code rugby internationals|in both codes]]. He won four caps for [[England national rugby union team|England]] in rugby union in 1961 as a lock forward, then moved to rugby league as a {{rlp|sr}} and played for his home town club, [[St Helens R.F.C.|St. Helens]], before going on to play at [[Widnes Vikings|Widnes]].<ref name="Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org"/>

After training as a school teacher,<ref name="Guard1">[http://sport.guardian.co.uk/rugbyworldcup2007/story/0,,2194663,00.html Ashton's long road to Paris, via Leigh and Tyldesley] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071222110502/http://sport.guardian.co.uk/rugbyworldcup2007/story/0,,2194663,00.html|date=22 December 2007}} The Guardian – 19 October 2007</ref> he taught at [[Cowley Language College|Cowley School]] in [[St Helens, Merseyside|St. Helens]], [[Lancashire]], where his local counterparts included [[Brian Ashton (rugby union)|Brian Ashton]] who taught at [[Stonyhurst College]].

French was a commentator for the BBC on rugby league on both television and radio, beginning his television career in 1981 following the retirement of [[Eddie Waring]]. He is well known for his range of [[colloquialism]]s. French is regularly heard on the Rugby League show ''Try Time'' each Thursday on [[BBC Radio Merseyside]] giving his views on the state of the game in his forthright way. He retired in 2019.

In 2010, French received the Mike Gregory Spirit of Rugby League Award to mark his contribution to the game.<ref>{{cite news|last=news.bbc.co.uk|title=Wigan's Pat Richards named 2010 Man of Steel|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_league/9038552.stm|access-date=10 September 2012|newspaper= [[BBC Sport]]|date=27 September 2010}}</ref>

Also President of the St Helens Past Players' Association, French was appointed [[Member of the Order of the British Empire]] (MBE) in the 2011 New Year Honours for services to rugby league.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=59647|date=31 December 2010|page=16 |supp=y}}</ref>

==Playing career==

===Championship final appearances===
Ray French played left-{{rlp|sr}} in [[St Helens R.F.C.|St. Helens]]' 35–12 victory over [[Halifax R.L.F.C.|Halifax]] in the [[Rugby Football League Championship|Championship Final]] during the [[1965–66 Northern Rugby Football League season|1965–66 season]] at [[Station Road, Swinton]] on Saturday 28 May 1966, in front of a crowd of 30,165.

===Challenge Cup Final appearances===
Ray French played left-{{rlp|sr}} in St. Helens' 21–2 victory over [[Wigan Warriors|Wigan]] in the [[1966 Challenge Cup]] Final during the [[1965–66 Northern Rugby Football League season|1965–66 season]] at [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley Stadium]], [[London]] on Saturday 21 May 1966, in front of a crowd of 98,536.

===County Cup Final appearances===
Ray French played right-{{rlp|sr}} in St. Helens' 25–9 victory over [[Swinton Lions|Swinton]] in the [[1961 Lancashire Cup]] Final  at [[Central Park (Wigan)|Central Park]], [[Wigan]] on Saturday 11 November 1961; played left-{{rlp|sr}} in the 15–4 victory over [[Leigh Centurions|Leigh]] in the [[1963 Lancashire Cup]] Final  at Station Road, Swinton on Saturday 26 October 1963, and played left-{{rlp|sr}} in the 12–4 victory over Swinton in the [[1964 Lancashire Cup]]  Final atCentral Park, Wigan on Saturday 24 October 1964.

===BBC2 Floodlit Trophy Final appearances===
Ray French played left-{{rlp|pr}} in St. Helens' 0–4 defeat by [[Castleford Tigers|Castleford]] in the [[1965 BBC2 Floodlit Trophy]] Final at [[Knowsley Road]], [[St Helens, Merseyside|St. Helens]] on Tuesday 14 December 1965.

==Ray French Award==
In August 2019 the Rugby Football League ran a poll among fans on the Our League app to name a trophy for the man of the match award in the [[RFL 1895 Cup|1895 Cup]] Final. French was one of three names in the poll along with [[Willie Horne]] and [[Johnny Whiteley]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/fans-invited-to-vote-for-who-1895-cup-man-of-the-match-award-should-be-named-after/ |title=Fans invited to vote for who 1895 Cup man of the match award should be named after |work=Love Rugby League |date=6 August 2019 |access-date=20 August 2019}}</ref> French won the poll with over 60% of the votes cast and presented the award at the inaugural [[2019 RFL 1895 Cup#Final|final]] on 24 August 2019 to [[Sheffield Eagles|Sheffield]]'s [[Anthony Thackeray]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/new-trophy-named-in-recognition-of-ray-french/ |title=New trophy named in recognition of Ray French |work=Love Rugby League |date=15 August 2019 |access-date=20 August 2019}}</ref>

===Award winners===
*2019 [[Anthony Thackeray]] - [[Sheffield Eagles]]<ref>{{cite news |title=Sheffield Eagles win inaugural 1895 Cup |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/49458365 |access-date=17 July 2021 |work=BBC Sport |date=24 August 2019}}</ref>
*2020 Not awarded - no competition played due to the COVID-19 pandemic
*2021 [[Craig Hall (rugby league, born 1988)|Craig Hall]] - [[Featherstone Rovers]]<ref>{{cite news |last1=Pattison |first1=Cam |title=Ex-Hull FC star becomes second ever winner of Ray French Award |url=https://www.seriousaboutrl.com/ex-hull-fc-star-becomes-second-ever-winner-of-ray-french-award-41197/ |access-date=17 July 2021 |work=Serious About Rugby League |date=17 July 2021}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://en.espn.co.uk/statsguru/rugby/player/6567.html Statistics at en.espn.co.uk]
*[http://www.saints.org.uk/saints/player.php?num=15348 Saints Heritage Society profile]
*[https://rugby.widnes.tv/playerprofile.php?mid=256 Widnes RLFC Player Profile]

{{St. Helens - 1966 Challenge Cup Final winners}}
{{St Helens - 1965–66 Championship Final winners}}
{{Great Britain squad – 1968 World Cup}}
{{St Helens RLFC Hall of Fame Inductees}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:French, Ray}}
[[Category:1939 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:BBC sports presenters and reporters]]
[[Category:English sports broadcasters]]
[[Category:Dual-code rugby internationals]]
[[Category:England international rugby union players]]
[[Category:English rugby league commentators]]
[[Category:English rugby league players]]
[[Category:English rugby union players]]
[[Category:Great Britain national rugby league team players]]
[[Category:Lancashire rugby league team players]]
[[Category:Liverpool St Helens F.C. players]]
[[Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Rugby league players from St Helens, Merseyside]]
[[Category:Rugby league second-rows]]
[[Category:Rugby union locks]]
[[Category:Rugby union players from St Helens, Merseyside]]
[[Category:Schoolteachers from Lancashire]]
[[Category:St Helens R.F.C. players]]
[[Category:Widnes Vikings players]]
[[Category:20th-century English sportsmen]]