Frank Stephens - Second row
Wales RLHeritage No | 100 |
Date Of Birth | 23/03/1899 |
Place Of Birth | Drybrook |
Clubs | Rochdale Hornets, Batley Bulldogs, Wigan Warriors, Cardiff, Bargoed |
Regions | Monmouthshire |
Honours | Wales RL, Other Nationalities |
Invitational | Crawshays |
Frank Stephens was born in Drybrook, Gloucestershire but brought up in Blackwood. He played rugby union for Bargoed and Cardiff and was also on the first historic Crawshays tour in 1922. He turned professional with Wigan in 1925, playing 205 times for this club and scoring seven tries in the five years he was there. In addition to his Wales caps, all won whilst at Wigan, he played for Other Nationalities against England and for Monomouthshire County and the combined Glamorgan and Monmouthshire side in the County Championship. At Wigan, he was a Championship winner, playing in the 1926 final win over Warrington in 1926, also picking up a Lancashire League winners medal that year. He also collected two medals in the 1928-29 season, the first being a Lancashire Cup winners medal after Wigan beat Widnes in the final, then on May 4, 1929, he was part of the famous Wigan side who beat Dewsbury in the first ever Challenge Cup Final to be played at Wembley Stadium. In 1930, he moved to Batley where he played one season, before a season at Rochdale Hornets before retiring. He remained in the Wigan area and died in the area on March 11, 1971 aged 71. He was never forgotten in Cardiff and in 2020, he was named in CF10 Rugby Trust's "Cardiff Rugby League XV" in honour of his performances in both codes.
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