Trevor Foster
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Trevor Foster was born in 1916 in Newport, Monmouthshire and died in his adopted home of Bradford on 2nd April 2005.
[edit] Biography
Trevor was best known for his association with the Bradford Bulls (previously Bradford Northern) rugby league club having joined them as a player in 1938 for £400 from Newport RFC, his home town's rugby union club. He made a name for himself playing for Newport Schoolboys and Pill Harriers as a teenager, before joining Newport. In all he played 428 games for Bradford, usually as a second row forward and occasionally a loose forward. During this time he scored 140 tries (an incredible return for a forward) including 24 in the 1947-48 season and 6 in 1 game. Trevor was the key forward of an outstanding Bradford side in the post war period which won the Challenge Cup in 1947 and 1949 with Trevor scoring in both games.
His record in representative rugby league was limited to 3 Great Britain caps, although he played 16 times for Wales, 7 as captain. It is certain he would have won more caps had it not been for the war. In 1946 he was selected for the winning Ashes tour of Australia, but was injured before being able to play a game.
Remarkably for a forward of the time Trevor was never sent from the field of play or even cautioned during his 17 years of top flight rugby.
Since his retirement in 1955 he remained a servant of the Bradford club successively as Coach, Director and Chairman of the Supporters Club and timekeeper for Super League home games. It was in 1963 when he secured his place in Bradford and Rugby League history when he was the central figure in a campaign to save his beloved Bradford Northern club who had disbanded due to financial problems. He led efforts to reconstitute the club which was then able to rejoin the league the following season. Without his work it is unlikely that the club would exist today.
In 2001 Trevor Foster was awarded an MBE and in 2004 was inducted into Welsh Sports Hall of Fame.
Trevor Foster passed away peacefully in hospital, in April 2005 after suffering a short illness.
