Francis Cummins, a former international for both Great Britain and Ireland, has returned to rugby league after taking a new position as head of emerging talent at Hull FC.
The 47-year-old replaces Michael Shenton, who last week joined Wakefield Trinity, a Championship team, as Daryl Powell’s assistant.
Cummins, who worked as Wakefield’s assistant to Willie Poching in 2022, has joined Hull’s centre of excellence programme in time for this we
The former England, Ireland, and Great Britain international will collaborate closely with Pete Riding, the club’s head of youth, to manage the club’s youth programme, which includes the reserves and academy, which Cummins will coach in 2024.
Having made his senior debut for Leeds Rhinos at the age of sixteen, Cummins is aware of what it takes to establish himself in the first team quickly.
At just 17 years old, he continues to hold the record for being the youngest player to appear in a Challenge Cup final.
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Between 1993 and 2005, Cummins played exclusively for the Rhinos, amassing 188 tries in 356 games.
After retiring in 2005, Cummins worked with current Hull FC head coach Tony Smith for four years as an assistant coach at the Rhinos.
After that, the Dewsbury native joined the Bradford Bulls in 2010, where he served as an assistant coach for two years before assuming the position of head coach in 2012. In 2018, he also had a brief stint as the Widnes Vikings’ manager.
Francis Cummins is “extremely happy” to join Hull FC in a new position.
Cummins stated, “I’m really happy to be taking on this role.”
It’s an incredible privilege to have the chance to work with the club’s future talent.
