For the British drummer (Albion Band), see Trevor Foster (drummer).
Trevor Foster
FirstRU
FullnameTrevor John French Foster[1]
Birth date3 December 1914
Birth placeNewport, Monmouthshire, Wales[1]
Death date2 April 2005 (aged 90)
Death placeBradford, England
Ru club 1Newport
Ru year1start1937
Ru year1end38
Ru appearances 135
Ru tries 112
Club 1Bradford Northern
Year1start1938
Year1end55
Appearances 1428
Tries 1128
Goals 11
Fieldgoals 10
Points 1386
TeamaWales
Yearastart1939
Yearaend51
Appearancesa16
Triesa5
Goalsa1
Fieldgoalsa0
Pointsa17
TeambGreat Britain
Yearbstart1946
Yearbend48
Appearancesb3
Triesb2
Goalsb0
Fieldgoalsb0
Pointsb6
TeamcNorthern Command
Yearcstart1942
Yearcend44
Appearancesc3
Triesc2
Goalsc0
Fieldgoalsc0
Pointsc6
TeamdArmy XIII
Yeardstart1943
Appearancesd1
Triesd0
Goalsd0
Fieldgoalsd0
Pointsd0
Retiredyes
Updated29 September 2020
Source[2][3][4][5]

Trevor John French Foster (3 December 1914 – 2 April 2005) was a Welsh rugby footballer and coach. He played rugby union for Newport and rugby league for Bradford Northern.[2] Foster was a Sergeant Physical Training Instructor in the British Army during World War II.[6]

Early years

Trevor Foster was born on December 3rd, 1914, in Newport, Monmouthshire.[7] He joined the Bradford Northern rugby league club in 1938 for £400[8] from Newport RFC, his home town's rugby union club. Foster played for Newport Schoolboys and Pill Harriers as a teenager, before joining Newport. He was also chosen to play for invitational team Crawshays.[9]

Bradford Northern career

Foster played 432 games in total for Bradford Northern, usually as a and occasionally as a . During this time, he scored 130 tries, including 22 in the 1947–48 season and six tries in one game.[10][11] Foster was a regular forward for Bradford Northern side in the post-war period, contributing to the Rugby League Challenge Cup in 1947 and 1949 and scoring in both games. Foster played at in Bradford Northern's 3–8 defeat by Wigan in the 1947–48 Challenge Cup Final during the 1947–48 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 1 May 1948.[12] Foster played at in Bradford Northern's 6–13 defeat by Wigan in the Championship Final during the 1951–52 season at Leeds Road, Huddersfield on Saturday 10 May 1952.[13]

Representative honours

Foster won 16 caps for Wales while at Bradford Northern between the years of 1939 and 1951, including seven as captain, and won caps for Great Britain in 1946 against New Zealand and in 1948 against Australia. He was selected for the 1946 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia but was injured before being able to play a game.[14]

Foster played at and was captain for Northern Command XIII against a Rugby League XIII at Thrum Hall, Halifax on Saturday 21 March 1942.[15] He was never sent off during his 17 years of topflight rugby.[16]

Retirement and coaching

After his retirement in 1955, Foster remained at Bradford as Coach, Director, and Chairman of the Supporters Club, as well as timekeeper for Super League home games.

Assisting Bradford Northern

In 1963, Foster was involved in a campaign to save Bradford Northern club, which had disbanded due to financial problems. He led efforts to reconstitute the club, and it was then able to rejoin the league the following season.[17]

Honours

In the 2001 New Year Honours, Foster was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) "for services to the community in Bradford, West Yorkshire."[18] In 2004, he was inducted into Welsh Sports Hall of Fame.

Foster has been included in Bradford's 'Millennium Masters', 'Bull Masters', and in August 2007, he was named in the 'Team of the Century'. Only six players have been included in all three lists; Karl Fairbank, Trevor Foster, James Lowes, Keith Mumby, Robbie Paul and Ernest Ward. He was also included in the Arriva Yorkshire Rugby League Dream Team on August 20th, 2009. The ceremony took place at The Jungle, the home of the Castleford Tigers.[19]

Death

Foster died due to a heart attack on April 2, 2005 in Bradford Royal Infirmary at the age of 90.[17]

References

  1. ^ Hadfield, Dave (6 April 2005). "Trevor Foster - Bradford rugby league 'legend'". The Independent. Archived from the original on 20 November 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  2. ^ "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org (RL)". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  3. ^ Foster, Simon; Gate, Robert; Lush, Peter (2005). Trevor Foster: The Life of a Rugby League Legend. London: London League Publications. ISBN 978-1903659182.
  4. ^ Gone North Volume 1 by Robert Gate page 63 ISBN 0951119001
  5. ^
  6. ^ "inside programme, Northern Command v. A Rugby League XIII, 1942". rugbyleagueoralhistory.co.uk. 31 December 2010. Archived from the original on 2 December 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2011.
  7. ^ "Trevor Foster". The Telegraph. 20 May 2005. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  8. ^ "Trevor Foster - Welsh Sports Hall of Fame". 2025-01-24. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
  9. ^ Newport RFC player profile Archived 17 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine blackandambers.co.uk
  10. ^ April 2, 2005, December 3, 1914- (2005-05-05). "Trevor Foster". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
  11. ^ "Trevor Foster - Welsh Sports Hall of Fame". 2025-01-24. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
  12. ^ "1947-1948 Challenge Cup Final". wigan.rlfans.com. 31 December 2011. Archived from the original on 23 October 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  13. ^ "1951-1952 Championship Final". wigan.rlfans.com. 31 December 2011. Archived from the original on 24 August 2019. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  14. ^ "Trevor Foster". The Independent. 2005-04-05. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
  15. ^ "inside programme, Northern Command v. A Rugby League XIII, 1942". rugbyleagueoralhistory.hud.ac.uk. 31 December 2010. Archived from the original on 26 August 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2011.
  16. ^ "Worth remembering Bradford’s adopted son Trevor Foster - Yorkshire Post Letters". Yorkshire Post. 2025-04-17. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
  17. ^ "City mourns Trevor Foster". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. 2005-04-04. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
  18. ^ United Kingdom list: No. 56070. 30 December 2000. p. 17.
  19. ^ "Arriva Yorkshire Rugby League Dream Team". Arriva Yorkshire. 20 August 2009. Retrieved 20 August 2009.