Ray French obituary
Although Ray French was a dual rugby international, winning four caps for England at rugby union and then, after signing professional terms to play rugby league, appearing four times for Great Britain, it was as the BBC’s rugby league commentator that he came to national prominence.French, who has died aged 85 after living with dementia, succeeded Eddie Waring as the BBC’s voice of the sport in 1981, spending 27 years in the role.Waring had established a public profile, beyond his verbally eccentric rugby commentaries, via frequent appearances in light entertainment shows and knockabout comedy routines.And, like Waring before him, French too became a somewhat divisive figure among a cohort of rugby league supporters who believed he entrenched a stereotypical perception of their sport.With his distinctive Lancashire enunciation, catchphrases and characteristic lexicon, his critics accused the national broadcaster of choosing a figurehead designed to “keep the sport in its place”: an idiosyncratic pastime of northern England.
However, to focus solely on his presentational style would be to mask the depth of knowledge French had for both codes of rugby, especially league.His command of the history of the two codes and his personal experiences of the prejudices constantly marring their relationship were leitmotifs running through his spoken and written work, imbuing his delivery with authenticity.He also called some of the most celebrated matches during his BBC tenure, including the 1985 Challenge Cup final between Wigan and Hull, oft-regarded as the greatest final of all, and 12-man Great Britain’s against-the-odds victory over Australia at Wembley in 1994 when fellow cross-coder Jonathan Davies scored one of the finest tries seen at the stadium.“Davies, he’s got some space.He’s going for the corner, he’s got his head back.
And the Welshman is in for a magnificent try” are words longstanding supporters can recite verbatim,Despite such highlights, French always said his most professional achievement at the BBC was during the second half of a commentary when, stuck high on a gantry, he was so desperate to relieve himself that, while still speaking, he was forced to use a bucket held by his match summariser,Meanwhile, his books – which include My Kind of Rugby: Union and League (1979) and Ray French … and Rugby (2010) – explore the complex socioeconomic and political relationships between the two rugby codes,And despite the longstanding animosity between them, often based on class and misplaced prejudice, he did much to break down barriers he considered absurd,Indeed, French was an advocate of a single rugby code, noting that “the strength of rugby union is along the M4 corridor from London into Wales, while the strength of rugby league is along the M62 corridor in northern England.
If rugby stopped dividing its resources, we’d have a game to challenge football.”Raymond James French was born on 23 December 1939 in St Helens.His father, Richard, worked in the local glass industry and his mother, Ellen, was a homemaker.Although raised in a rugby league-supporting family, in 1955 a scholarship took him from Rivington Road school to Cowley Grammar in nearby Windle where he first encountered rugby union.There his prowess as a robust back-row forward attracted the interest of the St Helens rugby union club.
He quickly won Lancashire county honours and the attention of the England selectors.He won four international caps, playing second-row in England’s Five Nations matches in 1961.Despite England’s disappointing campaign, French prospered amid a mediocre pack and looked set for further call-ups.However, St Helens, his hometown professional rugby league club, had been monitoring his progress and in late 1961 offered him a £5,000 contract which initially he turned down.But the opportunity to play his favoured code eventually proved irresistible.
He became part of the club’s formidable forward pack, playing an integral role in Saints’ double-winning season of 1965-66 as they won the Championship and Challenge Cup.However, although he had become club captain, St Helens sold French to local rivals Widnes in 1967.He wasn’t especially pleased, describing it as “feeling like a piece of meat on a supermarket shelf” but it would be at Widnes where he earned his rugby league international honours, travelling to Australia and New Zealand with Great Britain’s 1968 World Cup squad.Unfortunately, the team’s lacklustre performances meant many squad members, including French, would not be selected again.Meanwhile, while still playing professionally at St Helens, French studied for a degree in English, Latin and Russian at Leeds university.
He graduated in 1962 and applied for teacher training at Loughborough university, only to be turned down because he was a rugby league professional.He eventually qualified back at Leeds and taught English at his alma mater Cowley, where he stayed until retirement.It was during his time at Cowley that French began commentating on rugby league for local radio, eventually progressing to the BBC.He was awarded the MBE in 2011 for services to rugby league.The man-of-the-match award in the 1895 Cup Final for lower-division teams is named after him, reflecting his love of, and involvement in, grassroots rugby.
He married Helen (nee Bromilow) in 1963.She survives his, as does son Gary and daughter Susan.Raymond James French, rugby league player, journalist and sports commentator, born 23 December 1939, died 26 July 2025
Rukmini Iyer’s quick and easy recipe for baked feta tacos with pink onion and pineapple salsa | Quick and easy
I will never stop loving cheese and pineapple as a combination, and this version, with herby baked feta and spiced pineapple salsa, is the perfect update to the classic on a stick. Stuffed into warm tortillas with crunchy lettuce, this is a lovely summery dinner that comes together in minutes.The salsa is best made just before serving, so prep and chop everything and keep it separately in the fridge, if need be (though you could chop and mix the onion with the lime in advance).Prep 15 min Cook 25 min Serves 2200g block feta ½ tbsp olive oil 5-6 stalks oregano and/or thyme ½ tsp chipotle chilli flakes 4 small corn tortillas 1 romaine lettuce, finely slicedFor the salsa 1 fresh, ripe pineapple, peeled, cored and flesh cut into small chunks1 small red onion, peeled and very finely chopped1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped15g fresh mint, finely chopped1-2 limes, zest and juiceA pinch of sea salt flakesHeat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Put the feta on a lined baking tray, drizzle with the olive oil, then scatter over the oregano and/or thyme and chilli flakes, and bake for 25 minutes
How to make perfect fresh tomato pasta – recipe | Felicity Cloake's How to make the perfect …
“How many versions of fresh tomato sauce can there be?” Catherine, the generous winner of a charity auction to help me with the research for this column, asks when I tell her what recipe we’ll be making. On the contrary, I tell her, I’ve had my work cut out to narrow the selection here down to a mere seven, not least because the simpler the dish, the more argument there is over how it should be prepared, especially in a place as passionate about its food as Italy.Happily, I’ll have a lot of assistance, because Catherine has raised yet more money for Hospitality Rides (a fundraising initiative for two very worthy industry charities, Only a Pavement Away and the Licensed Trade Charity), by selling tickets to get other people to do my job for me, effectively. In an attempt to sweeten the deal, I tell my assembled minions (all hospitality professionals, though none, sadly, Italian chefs) that, according to Emiko Davies, this raw sauce is “quite possibly the best way to enjoy really good, ripe summer tomatoes – as well as making the most of spending as little time in front of a hot stove as possible”. Then I make them chop an awful lot of tomatoes in the service of perfection
The Greyhound, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire: ‘An oligarch’s saloon bar teetering on the edge of chintz’ – restaurant review | Grace Dent on restaurants
Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire is heroically lovely, but it does have about it a heavy whiff of the Hot Fuzz. It’s a market town with a nearby model village, while the “best things to do” section on TripAdvisor highlights the cemetery or a trip to the former residence of writer GK Chesterton. If all that fails to thrill, you could just go for lunch at the pub – although be aware that the Greyhound isn’t anything as simple as a plain old gastropub. Heck no, that would be something completely different: more shabbily chic, more carbohydrates on the menu, fewer staff calling you “Madam” while you’re en route to the loo and not even a hint of white peach granita on your burrata starter.The Guardian’s journalism is independent
What? They’re doing raves in the morning now? With coffee? At a cafe?
Daisy Dumas road tests a coffee rave in Sydney where there’s no alcohol and people dance all morning … soberGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailThe only ways I know to rave are festival-style or in the buzzed wee hours – the time between pubs shutting and trains starting. This means I’ve never walked into a cafe, fresh-faced and sober at 9am, with the intention of raving.But this is 2025, not the late 1990s, and people are possibly more questioning of the cost of partying on their bodies than they once were. So, coffee raves have become a thing.They’re all over the world and come in many shapes and sizes, tending towards the bijou
What to drink with seafood? Albariño is its natural companion | Hannah Crosbie on drinks
It’s World Albariño Day today – 1 August. I’ve got a soft spot for arbitrary wine holidays, so I’m marking the occasion by using it as an excuse to spend the weekend guzzling one of my favourite white wines. I’ve given you notice (sort of), so off you go to your nearest independent or supermarket to pick up something racy and saline.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link
Helen Goh’s recipe for black forest crepe cake | The sweet spot
This is a take on the classic black forest gateau, with layers of delicate chocolate crepes, silky white chocolate cream and sour cherry jam. (Use a good-quality store-bought jam if making your own is a step too far.) All the components can be made ahead of time, ready to be assembled, but be aware that the finished cake needs to be refrigerated for at least three hours, and preferably overnight.You can make the jam up to five days in advance. Store, covered, in the fridge
The dark side of cryptocurrency
OpenAI stops ChatGPT from telling people to break up with partners
‘We didn’t vote for ChatGPT’: Swedish PM under fire for using AI in role
Google says its new ‘world model’ could train AI robots in virtual warehouses
Should big tech be allowed to mine Australians’ text and data to train AI? The Productivity Commission is considering it
Dial N for nostalgia: landlines are back | Brief letters