Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Francis Stephenson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 20 January 1976 Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 17 st 0 lb (108 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | prop | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Francis Stephenson (born 20 January 1976) is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s, and was the Operations Director at the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats.[1][2]
He retired from playing during the 2007 close season, after playing in the Hull Kingston Rovers promotion season in National League One.
On signing in late 2005 Rovers made what they called a sensational swoop when the signed Stephenson from London Broncos a Super League star & club captain Yorkshire man Francis Stephenson put pen to paper on a two-year deal with the Hull Kingston Rovers. Francis nicknamed the colonel is a natural leader and has a presence on the pitch in the way he works with the team and in the changing rooms too.
Francis played his early rugby at Dewsbury Moor, and impressed enough to represent England schools in 1992. His most memorable career moment came at Wakefield Trinity, when he scored the match-winning try in the 1998 NFP Grand Final, a try that ultimately took Wakefield Trinity into Super League.
Francis enjoyed two exceptional seasons in Super League, which resulted in selection for the England World Cup squad in 2000. A transfer to Wigan Warriors on the back of these fine performances followed but his period at the JJB was hindered by injury problems. A move to London Broncos came in 2002 and Stephenson soon established himself as a prominent member of the Broncos pack.
Soon after retiring he took up the role of general manager at Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, following the departure of the previous Chief Executive.
Within months of this appointment, he was also instated as Team Manager of the England U18s team on their 2008 tour of Australia.