Ray French, the former rugby league commentator, has died at the age of 85. He had been living with dementia.
He played internationally in union, winning four caps in the second row for England in 1961, before moving to league and joining his home town club, St Helens, that year and helped them win the Challenge Cup in 1966. He appeared four times for Great Britain, in 1968.
After 204 appearances for Saints he joined Widnes in 1967, playing 123 games for the Chemics. Away from the pitch he was rugby master at Cowley high school.
French succeeded Eddie Waring as the BBC’s rugby league commentator in 1981 and retired in 2019. In 2011, he was awarded an MBE for services to rugby league.
Quick Guide
How do I sign up for sport breaking news alerts?
Show