Ray French

For the baseball player, see Ray French (baseball). For the American printmaker and artist, see Ray H. French.

Raymond James French, MBE (23 December 1939 – July 2025) was an English rugby league and rugby union player who played in the 1950s and 1960s, and a rugby league commentator. French played at international level in both codes. He won four caps for England in rugby union in 1961 as a second row forward, then moved to rugby league as a second-row and played for his home town club, St. Helens, and for Widnes.^[1]

Ray French
MBE

French showing off his MBE in 2011
Personal information
Full name	Raymond James French
Born	(1939-12-23)23 December 1939 St Helens, Lancashire, England
Died	26 July 2025(2025-07-26) (aged 85)
Playing information
Rugby union
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P –1961 St Helens RUFC Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1961 England 4 0 0 0 0
Rugby league
Position	Second-row
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1961–67 St. Helens 204 10 0 0 30 1967–71 Widnes 123 6 0 0 18 Total 327 16 0 0 48 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1968 Great Britain 4 0 0 0 0 196? Lancashire 0 0 0 0
Source: [1]

French was a commentator for the BBC on rugby league on television and radio, beginning his television career in 1981 following the retirement of Eddie Waring. He was regularly heard on the rugby league show Try Time each Thursday on BBC Radio Merseyside. He retired in 2019.

In 2010, French received the Mike Gregory Spirit of Rugby League Award to mark his contribution to the game.^[2] He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2011 New Year Honours for services to rugby league.^[3]

Background

French was born in St Helens, Lancashire, England on 23 December 1939.^[4] After studying at Leeds University and training as a school teacher, he taught at Cowley School in St. Helens.^[5][6]

Playing career

Championship final appearances

French played left-second-row in St. Helens' 35–12 victory over Halifax in the Championship Final during the 1965–66 season at Station Road, Swinton on Saturday 28 May 1966, in front of a crowd of 30,165.

Challenge Cup Final appearances

French played left-second-row in St. Helens' 21–2 victory over Wigan in the 1966 Challenge Cup Final during the 1965–66 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 21 May 1966, in front of a crowd of 98,536.

County Cup Final appearances

French played right-second-row in St. Helens' 25–9 victory over Swinton in the 1961 Lancashire Cup Final at Central Park, Wigan on Saturday 11 November 1961; played left-second-row in the 15–4 victory over Leigh in the 1963 Lancashire Cup Final at Station Road, Swinton on Saturday 26 October 1963, and played left-second-row in the 12–4 victory over Swinton in the 1964 Lancashire Cup Final at Central Park, Wigan on Saturday 24 October 1964.

BBC2 Floodlit Trophy Final appearances

French played left-prop in St. Helens' 0–4 defeat by Castleford in the 1965 BBC2 Floodlit Trophy Final at Knowsley Road, 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 1895 Cup Final. French was one of three names in the poll along with Willie Horne and Johnny Whiteley.^[7] French won the poll with over 60% of the votes cast and presented the award at the inaugural final on 24 August 2019 to Sheffield's Anthony Thackeray.^[8]

Award winners

• 2019 Anthony Thackeray – Sheffield Eagles^[9]
• 2020 Not awarded – no competition played due to the COVID-19 pandemic
• 2021 Craig Hall – Featherstone Rovers^[10]

Illness and death

On 26 July 2025, it was announced that French had died at the age of 85, after a long battle with dementia.^[11]