Roy Francis

I am grateful to have met [Roy] through the work of Tony Collins, who has so beautifully captured his remarkable life in this book. … this book serves as an important reminder of the immense impact one individual can have on an entire sport. * Jamie Jones-Buchanan, former Leeds and England rugby league player *Tony Collins has retold Roy Francis’s extraordinary tale by breathing new life into it with brilliant reporting and sharp writing. The best biographies illuminate lives and entire eras as they unfold, Roy Francis achieves both. * Lanre Bakare, author of ‘We Were There’ *Roy Francis: Rugby’s Forgotten Black Leader is a captivating read for anyone interested in the plight of the common man, even though Roy Francis himself was no ordinary man. – Martin Offiah MBE, Wigan Warriors AmbassadorA remarkable story which gets to the heart of race, sport and society. – Ed Smith, author of ‘What Sport Tells Us About Life’

Tony Collins is Emeritus Professor of History at De Montfort University and a Fellow of the Institute of Sports Humanities. His previous books include Rugby’s Great Split, Rugby League in Twentieth Century Britain, A Social History of English Rugby Union and The Oval World, all of which won the Aberdare Prize for Sports History.