Join Max Portman as he speaks to a true legend of academic sports history in Professor Tony Collins, Emeritus Professor of History at De Montfort University and a Fellow of the Institute of Sports Humanities at Loughborough University. The two are discussing Tony's new book Roy Francis: Rugby’s Forgotten Black Leader, published by Bloomsbury Sport in June 2025.

Tony's book covers the life of Roy from his humble beginnings in Brynmawr in the Welsh valleys where the circumstances surrounding his birth were contentious, through his journey to the North of England, where he made his name, first as a player in the 1930s and 1940s, before a managerial career that carried through until the 1970s. Across the interview, Max and Tony discuss Roy's father Lionel, an interesting character in his own right, Roy's wartime service, which involved a brief sojourn into rugby union, and how Roy broke down not just racial barriers in the pre-windrush era, but also revolutionised rugby league into the modern age as the first black manager in rugby league history.

If you love Rugby League, sports or are interested in hearing a new chapter of Black British history, then this is the perfect epsiode for you!!

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