VALE RAY FRENCH & ROBIN WHITFIELD

Steve Ricketts pays tributes to two icons of rugby league in England.

VALE RAY FRENCH

Former BBC Sports Commentator, Ray French was a dual Rugby International, but his heart lay with rugby league.

Originally from St Helens, French played four rugby union Tests for England in the 1961 Four Nations tournament. He began his rugby league career later that same year while still a student at Leeds University, and over the next 10 years, with St Helens and Widnes, won many honours, including a Challenge Cup and a Championship with St Helens, and four Test caps, from Widnes.

On his retirement from the  game in 1971 he became the rugby league correspondent for the Today newspaper, as well as continuing in his profession as a school teacher. In 1981 French joined the BBC commentary team, replacing long serving Yorkshireman, Eddie Waring.

French was the author of several books, among them ‘My Kind of Rugby’, ‘Ray French’s 100 Greatest Rugby League Players’ and ‘The Match of My Life’.

Ray made his Test debut against France in Paris in February, 1968 with Britain winning 22-13 to avenge their loss to the French at Wigan 12 months earlier. Fullback, Welshman, Bev Risman from Leeds, scored two tries for Britain. Ray packed down against formidable French skipper, Georges Ailleres from Toulouse in this match and did well enough to be retained for the return Test in Bradford four weeks later with Britain winning 19-8, French’s performance cementing his place in the World Cup squad to travel ‘down under’.

France had the last laugh in the World Cup, defeating the British 15-10 in Auckland, and then qualifying for the final against Australia in Sydney. French played in Britain’s loss to Australia at the SCG in the opening match of the tournament, and also in a win over the Kiwis in a match also played at the SCG.

At the completion of the tournament the British moved to Queensland for a short tour, playing matches against Queensland at Lang Park; Toowoomba in Toowoomba; North Queensland in Townsville and North West in Mount Isa, winning all four.

I covered many games in which French was commentating for the BBC, and I mixed socially with him in Australia, New Zealand and England. He was fine company, a keen student of the game, and not afraid to speak his mind. He had a genuine love for rugby league and his fellow man.

Ray French died on July 26, 2025 aged 85.

If you wish to read more about Ray Google ‘Steve Ricketts Ray French’.

VALE ROBIN WHITFIELD

Robin Whitfield was feared as a player because of his take-no-prisoners approach, and respected as a referee because of his ability to read play; to always be one step ahead of events, and, ironically, being able to keep a cool head in the wildest of games.

Whitfield was a first grade fullback for Widnes, but with the emergence of future Great Britain custodian, Ray Dutton, moved to Barrow in Cumbria in 1969. He finished his career with Liverpool club, Huyton, sent off in his last game – against Warrington. It was the seventh dismissal of his career.

When he took up the whistle at amateur level in 1975, he was still under suspension as a player. He quickly turned heads, and before he knew it, was refereeing at professional level. In 1982 he controlled the Kangaroos’ two Tests against France on their Northern Hemisphere tour.

In 1983 he refereed the third and deciding State of Origin game at Lang Park, a match won 43-22 by Queensland with skipper, Wally Lewis Man of the Match. That same year Whitfield was in charge of a Trans-Tasman Test at Lang Park, a match which the Kiwis won. It was also Gene Miles’ debut for Australia.

In 1986 he controlled all three Trans-Tasman Tests in New Zealand and Australia. In the Second Test at the SCG he had his hands full, with an all-in-brawl erupting early in the match after Kiwi forward, Kurt Sorensen targeted Steve Folkes and Wally Lewis with high tackles. Sorensen refused to take a backward step and Whitfield had a job to keep him and Steve ‘Blocker’ Roached separated.

Whitfield controlled nine Tests in-all as well as three Challenge Cup finals at Wembley Stadium – in 1983, ’86 and 1994. He might have controlled more except he was not allowed to officiate at matches involving his home town club, Widnes.

Robin was close friends with another Widnes Test referee, Mick Naughton, who he regarded as his mentor. I interviewed Whitfield many times, and kept in touch with him over the years. He and his family moved to Brisbane to live in the late 1980s, but after a month returned to the UK.

I wrote a foreword to his book ‘Rebel With A Cause’.

Whitfield died on July 20, 2025 aged 81.

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