Frank Foster (rugby league)
Quick Facts
Biography
Frank Foster is an English professional rugby league footballer of the 1960s and 1970s, and coach of the 1970s and 1980s, playing at representative level for Great Britain, and Cumberland, and at club level for Workington Town, Hull Kingston Rovers, Bradford Northern, Barrow, and Oldham, as a Loose forward/Lock, during the era of contested scrums, and coaching at club level for Barrow, and Whitehaven.
Playing career
International honours
Frank Foster won a cap for Great Britain while at Hull Kingston Rovers in 1967, against Australia.
County honours
Frank Foster represented Cumberland.
County Cup final appearances
Frank Foster played Right-Second-row, i.e. number 12, in Hull Kingston Rovers' 25-12 victory over Featherstone Rovers in the 1966 Yorkshire Cup final during the 1966–67 season at Headingley Stadium, Leeds on Saturday 15 October 1966, and played as an Interchange/Substitute, i.e. number 14, (replacing Second-row John Hickson) in the 8-7 victory over Hull in the 1967 Yorkshire Cup final during the 1967–68 season at Headingley Stadium, Leeds on Saturday 14 October 1967.
Coaching career
1973 saw Barrow appoint their former player, Foster as coach. He built a side which won the Second Division championship in 1975/76, and reached a John Player Trophy final in 1981, only to lose 5-12 to Warrington. Phil Hogan was transferred to Hull Kingston Rovers in 1978 for a then world record fee of £33,000. Barrow fluctuated between divisions and Foster was eventually replaced by Tommy Dawes in 1983.