Culture And Memory

Roy Francis: Brynmawr's Groundbreaking Forgotten Black Leader

To bring to the fore the incredible life of Roy Francis, a ’Black Leader in a White World’, a ground breaking Rugby Player & Coach who began life in humble beginnings in the 1920’s in Brynmawr in South Wales, and who became one of the most successful coaches in Rugby League history. In 2023 we were successful in acquiring funding and erected a monument to Roy Francis, which in turn has generated incredible interest in Roy’s history that has jump started the project to complete a short documentary on his incredible life. Whilst investigating the life of Roy, from being the son of a mixed-race family whose father worked in the local coal mine and grandfather was a slave from Trinidad, it became evident that a film depicting his life would be a great example to young people of what it is possible to achieve if you have the determination.