At the Yorkshire RFU AGM meeting at Morley RFC on 2nd July, Dave Francis was unanimously elected President of the Yorkshire RFU for 2024/25.
Here's the speech he gave in accepting this honour.
"Born at Ilkley, where both my parents studied at the Grammar School. Moved to north Sheffield aged 8, due to my father being promoted in the Meat Trade.
At 16, I joined the local Rugby club, starting in the 2nd XV, but by the end of that first season, I made my 1st XV debut aged 16. In fact, I was playing for the school on the Saturday morning, and then Senior rugby in the afternoon. At 19, I joined Sheff, as an SH, but by the end of my first full season I was playing 1XV FH. I was greatly influenced by great players and coaches, namely Alan Old, Billy R, and Dereck Sherlock.
Off the field I married Judith and moved into our home, which we still happily live in. It is usual in these speeches to save you thanks to the end, but I want to tell you now, my wife has been and a tremendous encouragement and critic over the years, and I wouldn’t be stood here now without her support.
The mid Eighties, saw the leagues take hold, so I signed for Rotherham and contributed to their success up the leagues. Family then took over with the addition of two great kids, so I decided take a step back and over the next ten years, I was a player coach at Sheffield Oaks, Dinnington, and Stocksbridge, enjoying numerous promotions, as well as winning the Yorkshire Shield and Silver Trophy.
Whilst winning the South Yorkshire Cup, for the third time, I was approached after the game by Gerry Roberts. He persuaded me to become a District representative coach, so my apprenticeship in CB coaching started with the South Yorkshire 14 / 15 yo squads, progressing to the 16 / 17yo. Coaching was now in my blood, and using the experiences I had absorbed from my playing days, I was becoming more confident and effective in players development.
Away from club rugby, I was invited by Geoff Wappett to coach the Titans Academy. Twice sessions a week with matches against other premiership Academies and A teams was a fantastic challenge. Watching and learning how the best coaches in the rugby world, approached coaching these top teams was a pleasure and an education. As part of successful coaching, I attained my Coaching Awards, Level 3 and Mentoring to name two.
Representative rugby again came knocking, and I coached Yorkshire 15s. It was an honour to coach the County and I must acknowledge the support of Brian Smith and the mild mannered, softly spoken Graham Turnbull. I was then appointed backs coach for the boys 18s. What a fantastic time I had. Coaching with Cadders and Spener was full of great memories and great players.
Together, we produced dozens of North 18 Trialist and of course England internationals. After coaching Yorkshire 18s for 3 years, I was offered the role of coaching the England North Division 18s Backs. Once again, I enjoyed coaching the best players in the North, taking joy in many of them, progressing and play for England.
It was also around this time I started to work with Allan Secker, and he asked me to take over his role as Head Coach of the Yorkshire Terriers, and he would mentor. Now to go to New Zealand on your first tour, and coach 30 highly talented lads was daunting, but again my support team where there, Judith was 100% behind me, well 12,000 miles behind me, and my parents, especially mum were so thrilled, the doubts soon disappeared, and the tour was a great success both on and off the field.
Back in Yorkshire, Doncaster Knights approached me to set up their Academy with Steve Salvin, and once again the fixture list included Premiership Clubs, Home and Away. Watching my son Neil, run out at Welford Road, Franklin Gardens, Headingley Stadium and Kingstone Park was a thrill. Yorkshire again came knocking, and my relationship with Stuart Dixon started. Both he and Mark Luffman whilst working for the RFU, contacted me to set up a satellite School of Rugby, in South Yorkshire.
This was the pilot and template to what was to become the County DPP Programme, with Academy sites spread over the County. Since then, I have been part of the Academy set up, as a coach and more recently a Coach Developer.
Talking of Coach Developing, this coming season, will see my 25th year working for the RFU in Coach Education. Looking back, I reckon I’ve seen between 750 and 1000 coaches attain their coaching awards.
As Allen Secker has mentioned, the County needed a new Chair of Coach Development, a post I have held for nearly 8 years, and during that time, I have seen the growth of the County teams, with ALL coaches attaining their Advanced Coaching Award, and the introduction of the girls Academy and DPP Programme.
As you can imagine, my journey to here has been a great adventure, and I’ve missed some out. Working with so many influencers and fabulous people, I have built up a network of who’s who in the Rugby family, and this was valuable in the role of Coaching Chair. Believe me, I will continue to use this network, as I now become your proud President
SO, before the shepherd’s crook appears, or the Oscar music starts, some thank you’s:
In no particular order Allan Secker, Peter Taylor, Anthony Cadman, Ian Spence, Dave Harrison, Jamie Pocklington, Brendan Hurley, John Cole, Kris Sharples, , Stuart Lancaster, Geoff Wappett, Andy Northey, Mike Umaga, Steve Salvin, Martin Webdale, Richard Nicholson, Craig West, John McKenzie, Martin Pepper, Andy Richard, Howard Hughes, Andy Pollard, Bob Hood, Mike Barnett, John Lawn, Mark Luffman, Alan Moses, Hamish Pratt, Mike Hart, Diccon Edwards, Mark Saltmarsh, Luke Pendlebury, Dave Hunter, Gerry Roberts, Brian Smith, Graham Turnbull, Phil Ardon, Jim Chapman, Norman Coates, Barry Breakwell, Joe Bedford, Alan Warriner, Ted Atkinson, Ralph Kester, John Smith, James Corrigan, Cloggy, Dave Oswin, Keith Dyas, Jim Cooper, Stuart Dixon, Nick O Conner, Tom Gilchrist, Tim Wicks, Dawn, all the County Team Managers, and the fantastic County coaches and Girls Rugby Coaches I have appointed over the past 8 years."
