Former Rugby Football League president Bev Risman, who played rugby for Great Britain in both league and union codes and was awarded an OBE for his services to the game, has died at the age of 85.
Bev, who lived at Matterdale and then Penrith in latter years, was the eldest son of legendary Workington Town coach Gus, who was inducted into the sport’s hall of fame in 1988 in recognition of almost three decades as a player. He was an icon at Workington Town, with whom he lifted the Challenge Cup in 1952.
He was born in Salford when his father played there but his rugby career had started at Cockermouth Grammar School when his father moved to live in the town after taking on the coaching role with Town.
His first international call-up was for the England Schoolboys.
He went on to play senior international rugby at both union and league, and was held in high regard for his ability in both codes as a full back or fly half.
Bev was a British Lions tourist in 1959 and played eight times for England in union before following his father Gus in taking up league when he signed for Leigh.
In six years there he played 140 games before being sold to Leeds in 1966 where he went on to play 164 times before retiring in 1970 because of a recurring injury.
He was Great Britain captain at the 1968 league World Cup, and won both the Challenge Cup and Championship with Leeds.
After retiring he became involved in coach education, the development of the game in the South of England and the organisation of student rugby league. He was inducted to the rugby league Roll of Honour in 2005, and was elected president of the Rugby Football League in 2010.
He was awarded an OBE for services to rugby league in the 2012 New Year’s Honours list.
On becoming president, Bev spoke of “the greatest honour I have ever had”. But having been made an OBE, he told the Herald: “I thought my cup was full when I was given the presidency of the RFL. This (the OBE) is very much the icing on the cake. It is a great honour of which I am very proud. I am absolutely delighted.”
Bev and his wife, Ann, who died last year, share the distinction of both having been made an OBE. Ann’s name featured in the Queen’s Birthday Honours of 1999. At that time, she was principal of Richmond Adult and Community College, Surrey, and was honoured for services to further education.
Bev travelled with his wife and their three sons, Martin, John and Michael, to Buckingham Palace when she received the OBE from the Queen. However, as the three available family passes for the ceremony were given to the couple’s sons, Bev recalled that he was left “waiting in the car outside with the other taxi drivers”.
In 2016, Bev wrote a book — Both Sides of the Fence — about his life as a leading rugby union and league player, which received high praise from critics.
He also played golf at the Penrith club and was involved in Rotary.
Bev’s son, John, is also a former professional rugby league player who represented Wales and made a career from the game.
Rugby Football League chief executive Tony Sutton said: “We pay tribute to a man who made such a contribution to both codes of rugby as a player, and to Rugby League in such a range of roles after his retirement.”
The funeral service and cremation will be at Eden Valley Crematorium, Temple Sowerby, on Tuesday, 18th July, at 2pm. Donations in memory of Bev are for Patterdale mountain rescue team and may be left at the service or sent to Richardsons Funeral Directors, who have charge of arrangements.
