Alf Francis - Wing
Wales RLHeritage No | 49 |
Date Of Birth | 30/06/1888 |
Place Of Birth | Treherbert |
Clubs | Hull FC, Treherbert NU |
Honours | Wales RL, Great Britain |
Alfred John Francis played for Treherbert as both an amateur and professional before going north to Hull FC. He was very nearly lost to Hull as Rovers had spotted him playing against them for Treherbert in September 1909. Treherbert only played 12 matches that season and withdrew from the Northern Union, making Alf free to pursue the game somewhere else. Rovers were interested but were of the opinion he was too small, but a Robins' official recommended him to Hull. Alf was signed for 75 gold sovereigns. Although he went on to become an outstanding winger for the next decade, initially Hull used him as a half-back. He will always be noted as having scored one of Hull’s tries in the winning 1914 Challenge Cup Final over Wakefield, sealing the game at 6-0 after Jack Harrison had touched down in the other corner five minutes previously. Alf was selected to tour Australasia with the 1914 Northern Union squad, though he was destined to play only three matches early in the tour before sustaining a broken collarbone. He did manage six tries in his first two matches, one against Queensland and five against Ipswich, but then sustained his injury against Newcastle. Alf Francis made 245 appearances for Hull, scoring some 165 tries. He was the first Hull player to register 100 tries for the club. The following season he equalled Jack Harrison’s Match Record with six against B.O.C.M in the Challenge Cup. On 7th April 1921, he scored his 13th hat-trick in a 79-2 rout of Rochdale Hornets. Only Clive Sullivan surpasses that record of hat-tricks. He won a League Championship medal in 1920 but missed the 1921 final through sustaining injury in the semi-final victory over Halifax, in which he helped Hull’s cause with a try. That proved to be his last appearance for Hull.
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