• Contact us
  • About us
  • Digital edition
  • Online archive
Friday, July 11, 2025
Cumberland and Westmorland Herald
  • News
    Councils ask for planned mayoral election to be postponed

    Councils ask for planned mayoral election to be postponed

    Leo Group owner completes epic cycling challenge for MND research

    Leo Group owner completes epic cycling challenge for MND research

    Support for Penrith Mountain Rescue Team after charity box stolen

    Support for Penrith Mountain Rescue Team after charity box stolen

    Inspiring Penrith teacher Dawn Coates retires after 26 years

    Inspiring Penrith teacher Dawn Coates retires after 26 years

    Use it or lose it: Urgent appeal for people to get on the bus

    Use it or lose it: Urgent appeal for people to get on the bus

    Penrith’s Enterprise Hub plans start to take shape

    Penrith’s Enterprise Hub plans start to take shape

    Nurturing Eden school praised by Ofsted

    Nurturing Eden school praised by Ofsted

    Inflation and the impact on savings

    Inflation and the impact on savings

    Celebrating Alston’s heritage heroes

    Celebrating Alston’s heritage heroes

  • Sport
    Success for fighting squad

    Success for fighting squad

    Penrith skipper Nicky Burns calls on team to keep winning

    Penrith skipper Nicky Burns calls on team to keep winning

    £100,000 target for new changing rooms extension

    £100,000 target for new changing rooms extension

    Medal success for Upper Eden tug-of-war team

    Medal success for Upper Eden tug-of-war team

    Eden man competes in Hyrox World Games

    Eden man competes in Hyrox World Games

    Double national triumph for Stuart Robinson

    Double national triumph for Stuart Robinson

    Patterdale’s Eden Eagles make history

    Patterdale’s Eden Eagles make history

    Penrith teen crowned British vault champion

    Penrith teen crowned British vault champion

    Penrith gymnasts represent North of England in finals

    Penrith gymnasts represent North of England in finals

  • Obituaries
  • Nostalgia
  • Online archive
  • Buy Photos
  • Buy your paper
  • North Lakes Living
No Result
View All Result
Cumberland and Westmorland Herald
  • News
    Councils ask for planned mayoral election to be postponed

    Councils ask for planned mayoral election to be postponed

    Leo Group owner completes epic cycling challenge for MND research

    Leo Group owner completes epic cycling challenge for MND research

    Support for Penrith Mountain Rescue Team after charity box stolen

    Support for Penrith Mountain Rescue Team after charity box stolen

    Inspiring Penrith teacher Dawn Coates retires after 26 years

    Inspiring Penrith teacher Dawn Coates retires after 26 years

    Use it or lose it: Urgent appeal for people to get on the bus

    Use it or lose it: Urgent appeal for people to get on the bus

    Penrith’s Enterprise Hub plans start to take shape

    Penrith’s Enterprise Hub plans start to take shape

    Nurturing Eden school praised by Ofsted

    Nurturing Eden school praised by Ofsted

    Inflation and the impact on savings

    Inflation and the impact on savings

    Celebrating Alston’s heritage heroes

    Celebrating Alston’s heritage heroes

  • Sport
    Success for fighting squad

    Success for fighting squad

    Penrith skipper Nicky Burns calls on team to keep winning

    Penrith skipper Nicky Burns calls on team to keep winning

    £100,000 target for new changing rooms extension

    £100,000 target for new changing rooms extension

    Medal success for Upper Eden tug-of-war team

    Medal success for Upper Eden tug-of-war team

    Eden man competes in Hyrox World Games

    Eden man competes in Hyrox World Games

    Double national triumph for Stuart Robinson

    Double national triumph for Stuart Robinson

    Patterdale’s Eden Eagles make history

    Patterdale’s Eden Eagles make history

    Penrith teen crowned British vault champion

    Penrith teen crowned British vault champion

    Penrith gymnasts represent North of England in finals

    Penrith gymnasts represent North of England in finals

  • Obituaries
  • Nostalgia
  • Online archive
  • Buy Photos
  • Buy your paper
  • North Lakes Living
No Result
View All Result
Cumberland and Westmorland Herald
No Result
View All Result
Home Latest

Former rugby international Bev Risman received an OBE for his services to the game

by CWH
3 July 2023
in Latest, Obituaries
A A
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
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.

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.

Tags: premium

Related Posts

Penrith’s Enterprise Hub plans start to take shape
Latest

Penrith’s Enterprise Hub plans start to take shape

11 July 2025
Long-awaited go-ahead for A66 dualling scheme
Latest

Long-awaited go-ahead for A66 dualling scheme

8 July 2025
Extinction Rebellion protest outside insurance brokers
Latest

Extinction Rebellion protest outside insurance brokers

7 July 2025
Lake District mountain rescue volunteers called for missing man searching for lost phone
Latest

Lake District mountain rescue volunteers called for missing man searching for lost phone

7 July 2025
£8,000 for two new nature reserve projects
Latest

£8,000 for two new nature reserve projects

3 July 2025
Arrests after shoplifting incidents in Penrith
Latest

Arrests after shoplifting incidents in Penrith

2 July 2025
No Result
View All Result

Stay connected

Facebook Twitter Instagram

Most popular

Penrith’s Enterprise Hub plans start to take shape

Penrith’s Enterprise Hub plans start to take shape

11 July 2025
Councils ask for planned mayoral election to be postponed

Councils ask for planned mayoral election to be postponed

11 July 2025
Long-awaited go-ahead for A66 dualling scheme

Long-awaited go-ahead for A66 dualling scheme

8 July 2025
Looking back to 1986

Looking back to 1986

11 July 2025
Use it or lose it: Urgent appeal for people to get on the bus

Use it or lose it: Urgent appeal for people to get on the bus

11 July 2025
Inspiring Penrith teacher Dawn Coates retires after 26 years

Inspiring Penrith teacher Dawn Coates retires after 26 years

11 July 2025
Cumberland and Westmorland Herald Logo

33 Middlegate
Penrith
Cumbria
CA11 7SY

Phone: 01768 862313
Email: news@cwherald.com

Registered in England as Barrnon Media Limited. No: 12475190
VAT registration number: 343486488

Explore

  • News
  • Sport
  • Farming
  • Property
  • Obituaries
  • Nostalgia
  • Your view

Useful links

  • Contact us
  • Photosales
  • Online archive
  • Buy your paper
  • Digital edition
  • North Lakes Living
  • Advertise
  • About us

Follow us on

© Barrnon Media Limited 2025

Terms & Conditions / Privacy Policy / Cookie Policy

This website and its associated newspaper are members of the Independent Press Standards Organisation
Review Your Cart
0
Discount
Add Coupon Code
Subtotal
Total Installment Payments
Bundle Discount
Checkout

 
0
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Obituaries
  • Nostalgia
  • Online archive
  • more
    • North Lakes Living
    • Buy Photos
    • Buy your paper
    • About us
    • Contact us

© 2020 Cumberland & Westmorland Herald