Bevan French facts for kids
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Personal information
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| Full name | Bevan Lionel French | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 4 January 1996 Inverell, New South Wales, Australia |
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| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 13 st 8 lb (86 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Playing information
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| Position | Wing, Fullback, Stand-off | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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As of 25 September 2022
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| Relatives | Nathan Blacklock (uncle) Preston Campbell (cousin) |
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Bevan French (born 4 January 1996) is an Australian professional rugby league player. He plays as a fullback, winger, or five-eighth for the Wigan Warriors in the Super League.
Bevan started playing rugby league for his local amateur club, the Tingha Tigers. He was only 15 when he played his first senior game. In 2013, he signed with the Parramatta Eels in Australia's top league, the NRL. He made his first team debut a year later.
In 2019, Bevan moved to England to join the Wigan Warriors. He has won many big titles with Wigan. These include three Super League Grand Finals (in 2023 and 2024). He also won two Challenge Cup finals (in 2022 and 2024). In 2024, he helped Wigan win the World Club Challenge. That same year, he made history. He became the first player in British rugby league to win the Man of the Match award in all three major finals.
About Bevan French
Bevan French was born in Inverell, New South Wales, Australia. He is from an Indigenous Australian background. His uncle, Nathan Blacklock, was also a famous rugby league player. Bevan played his junior rugby league for the Tingha Tigers. He went to Inverell High School and finished in 2013.
Bevan's Rugby Journey
Early Days in Rugby
Bevan was just 15 years old when he started playing for Tingha's main team. He played at fullback against much older men. In 2013, many big clubs from the NRL wanted to sign him. These included Parramatta, Melbourne, and Newcastle. He chose to sign with the Parramatta Eels. He said he "just had a feeling" about the club.
Playing for Parramatta Eels
Starting Strong (2015-2016)
In 2015, Bevan played for the Eels' youth team. He scored 16 tries in 22 games. In 2016, he helped the Eels win the NRL Auckland Nines tournament. He scored 8 tries, which was a record for that event.
Bevan made his main NRL debut in May 2016. He scored a try in his first game. He quickly became known for scoring lots of tries. He scored 19 tries in just 13 games in his first season. This made him the Eels' top try-scorer for 2016.
Challenges and Changes (2017-2018)
In 2017, Bevan played for the Indigenous All Stars team. He played 16 games for Parramatta that year. He scored 9 tries. However, he missed some games due to a hamstring injury.
The 2018 season was tough for Bevan. He had some injuries and struggled with his form. He was moved to a different team, the Wentworthville Magpies. This team was linked to Parramatta.
Time with Wentworthville Magpies (2019)
In 2019, Bevan played for the Wentworthville Magpies in the NSW Cup. This was a step down from the NRL. On 22 April 2019, he scored the first ever try at the new Western Sydney Stadium. He scored 13 tries in 15 games for Wentworthville.
Moving to Wigan Warriors (2019-Present)
Joining Wigan (2019-2021)
In July 2019, Bevan signed a two-year contract with the Wigan Warriors. This team plays in the Super League in England. He made his debut for Wigan in a 36-18 win.
In 2020, Bevan played in the Super League Grand Final. Wigan lost a very close game to St Helens. In 2021, Bevan had a serious hamstring injury. He had to return to Australia for treatment. He also spent time with his family during this period.
Record-Breaking Success (2022)
In 2022, Bevan came back strong. He helped Wigan win the 2022 Challenge Cup Final. He scored a hat-trick (three tries) in a game against Salford.
Later that season, he made history. He scored a Super League record seven tries in one game! This was against Hull F.C. It broke the previous record of six tries. He finished the 2022 season with 33 tries in 23 games. This was an amazing achievement. In September 2022, he signed a new contract with Wigan.
More Trophies and Awards (2023-2024)
In 2023, Bevan continued his great form. He scored many tries for Wigan. In October, he won the prestigious Steve Prescott MBE Man of Steel award. This award goes to the best player in the Super League. On 14 October, he helped Wigan win the 2023 Super League Grand Final.
The 2024 season was also very successful. On 24 February, Bevan helped Wigan win the 2024 World Club Challenge. He was named Man of the Match in that game. He signed a new four-year deal with Wigan in April.
On 8 June, Bevan played in the 2024 Challenge Cup final. He scored a try and won the Lance Todd Trophy. This award is for the Man of the Match in the Challenge Cup final. He also helped Wigan win the 2024 Super League Grand Final. He scored the only try in that game and won the Rob Burrow Award.
In 2024, Bevan became the first player in British rugby league history to win the Lance Todd Trophy and the Rob Burrow Award in the same season. He also won the Bill Ashurst medal in the World Club Challenge.
Honours
Wigan Warriors
- Super League
- Winners (2): 2023, 2024
- League Leaders' Shield
- Winners (3): 2020, 2023, 2024
- Challenge Cup
- Winners (2): 2022, 2024
- World Club Challenge
- Winners (1): 2024
Individual
- Man of Steel:
- Winners (1): 2023
- Super League Dream Team
- Winners (3): 2020, 2022, 2023
- Rob Burrow Award
- Winners (1): 2024
- Lance Todd Trophy
- Winners (1): 2024
- RLWBA Player of the Year:
- Winners (1): 2020
- Albert Goldthorpe Medal:
- Winners (1): 2023
- Wigan Warriors Player of the Year
- Winners (1): 2020
- Wigan Warriors Players' Player of the Year
- Winners (1): 2020
Statistics
| Year | Team | Games | Tries | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 |  Parramatta Eels |
13 | 19 | 76 |
| 2017 | 16 | 9 | 36 | |
| 2018 | 18 | 7 | 28 | |
| 2019 |  Wigan Warriors |
8 | 6 | 32 |
| 2020 | 21 | 17 | 72 | |
| 2021 | 5 | 3 | 12 | |
| 2022 | 24 | 31 | 124 | |
| 2023 | 32 | 19 | 76 | |
| 2024 | 14 | 16 | 64 | |
| Totals | 149 | 123 | 492 |
