Roger Millward facts for kids

Roger Millward MBE (born 16 September 1947 – died 2 May 2016) was a famous English rugby league player and coach. He played in the 1960s and 1970s, and coached in the 1980s and 1990s. Roger was known for his amazing skills as a stand-off (stand-off) and for kicking goals.

He became very well-known playing for Hull Kingston Rovers, where he was also a captain. He also played for Castleford and represented the Great Britain national team. Roger Millward was given the Order of the British Empire (MBE) award in 1983 for his contributions to the sport. People called him “Roger the Dodger” because he was so good at dodging other players. In 2000, he was added to the Rugby League Hall of Fame, which is a special place for the best players ever. Many people believe he was one of the greatest rugby league players of all time.

Early Life and First Steps in Rugby

Roger Millward was born in Castleford, a town in West Riding of Yorkshire, England. This is where his journey in rugby league began.

Starting His Professional Career

Roger started his professional rugby league career in September 1964. He signed with his hometown club, Castleford. His first game was on 3 October 1964. In 1965, he helped Castleford win their first trophy, the Floodlit Trophy.

Roger played as a Stand-off (stand-off). At that time, Castleford had many experienced players, so it was hard for him to get a regular spot in the first team. However, his talent was noticed by the international team selectors. In March 1966, when he was only 18, Roger was chosen to play for the Great Britain team against France. This made him one of Great Britain's youngest players ever.

Roger also played a key role as a scrum-half (scrum-half) in Castleford's win against St. Helens in the 1965 BBC2 Floodlit Trophy Final.

Playing for Hull Kingston Rovers

On 8 August 1966, Roger moved from Castleford to Hull Kingston Rovers. He made his first appearance for Hull Kingston Rovers shortly after, on 15 August 1966. He quickly helped his new club win the Yorkshire County Cup, and they won it again in 1967.

Becoming a Star Player

In 1968, Roger was the top try scorer for Hull Kingston Rovers, scoring 38 tries that season. He also won the supporters' player of the year award. His great form led to him being picked for the Great Britain squad for the 1968 World Cup.

In 1969, at just 21 years old, Roger became the captain of Hull Kingston Rovers. He was also voted the supporters' player of the year for a second time and was named the Rugby League Players No 6 "Player of the Year."

During the mid-1970s, Hull Kingston Rovers became a very strong team, thanks to Roger's amazing playmaking skills. He helped the club win two more Yorkshire Cup medals in 1971–72 and 1974–75. He also won two more supporters' player of the year awards. In his testimonial year (a special year to celebrate a player's career), Roger set a new record for Hull Kingston Rovers by scoring 160 tries in a season.

Playing in Australia

In 1976, Roger decided to play for an Australian club, Cronulla-Sutherland. He played 14 games in Sydney, scoring one try and kicking 17 points, before returning to Hull.

Player-Coach and Challenge Cup Glory

In 1977, Roger became the player-coach of Hull Kingston Rovers. He played as a scrum-half and coached the team to a big win against St. Helens in the 1977 BBC2 Floodlit Trophy Final. He was again voted the supporters' player of the season. This marked the beginning of a very successful period for Hull Kingston Rovers.

In the 1978–79 season, Hull Kingston Rovers won the Division One Championship, which was their first since 1925. The 1979–80 season was even more special. Roger and his team reached Wembley to play their local rivals, Hull F.C., in the Challenge Cup Final. Even though Roger broke his jaw during the first half, he bravely continued playing and led his team to victory. He was awarded the trophy at the end of the game.

Roger Millward played as a Stand-off, was the captain, and was the coach when Hull Kingston Rovers won 10–5 against Hull F.C. in the 1979–80 Challenge Cup Final. This famous match took place at Wembley Stadium in London on 3 May 1980, in front of 95,000 fans.

Roger also played as a Stand-off in several Yorkshire County Cup Finals for Hull Kingston Rovers, winning in 1966–67, 1967–68, 1971–72, and 1974–75. He was named "man of the match" in the 1974–75 final.

Roger retired from playing rugby league a year after the Challenge Cup victory. He had broken his jaw again, for the fourth time in ten months, during a game for Hull Kingston Rovers' A Team. This injury meant he had to stop playing.

International Rugby League Career

By 1969, Roger Millward was a regular player for the Great Britain international team. He had made his debut at 18 years old. In total, he played 47 games for Great Britain, including 29 Test matches. He went on tour with Great Britain five times and with the England National Team once, even captaining in two World Cup tournaments.

The 1970 Ashes Tour

Roger's international career highlight was being a key part of Great Britain's last team to win the Ashes series in Australia in 1970. The Ashes is a special series of games against the Australian national team.

In the first Test match of the 1970 tour, Roger was not chosen, and Great Britain lost badly. But for the second Test, Roger was brought into the team. He played brilliantly, scoring 20 points (2 tries and 7 goals) in a 28–7 win, which tied the series. This amazing performance equaled a record for the most points scored by one player against Australia.

The third and deciding Test was also a success, and Great Britain won back the Ashes. Roger was outstanding again. With about five minutes left in the game, he scored the try that won the match and the series. He ran over 40 yards, dodging defenders, to score the winning try at the Sydney Cricket Ground. He also kicked three goals in that game.

After this, Roger continued to play well for Great Britain in many international games. However, they were not able to win another series against Australia during his career.

Coaching Career

After he stopped playing, Roger Millward stayed with Hull Kingston Rovers as part of the coaching staff. He coached the team throughout the 1980s and early 1990s.

Coaching Successes

As a coach, Roger led his team to another Challenge Cup Final and the Yorkshire County Cup Final in the 1980–81 season, though they lost both. However, they did win a Premiership trophy that year. Roger also coached Hull Kingston Rovers to the John Player Trophy Final and helped them finish second in the Division One Championship.

Roger Millward was the coach when Hull Kingston Rovers lost 9–18 to Widnes in the 1980–81 Challenge Cup Final at Wembley Stadium. He also coached them in the 14–15 defeat by Castleford in the 1983–84 Challenge Cup Final, also at Wembley.

In the 1983–84 season, Hull Kingston Rovers were incredibly successful under Roger's leadership. They won the League Championship and the Premiership, becoming the first team to win both in the same year. They were named the 'Rugby League Team of the Year'. The 1984–85 season was also very strong, with victories in the John Player Trophy Final and another Division One Championship.

Roger left Hull Kingston Rovers after the club was relegated to Division Two. In 1991, Roger took on a coaching job at Halifax, but he resigned after 17 months.

Personal Life

Roger Millward was married to Carol A. Bailey, and they had a daughter named Kay. They lived in Kippax, near Leeds. Later in his life, Roger worked as a Premises Manager at Royds Specialist Language College. Even after leaving rugby league, he still enjoyed watching matches, especially those involving his first club, Castleford. Roger was the son of William Millward and Ivy Lockwood, and the younger brother of Roy Millward. He was also the cousin of another rugby league player and coach, Brian Lockwood.

Roger Millward's Legacy

Roger Millward played 406 games for Hull Kingston Rovers. He scored 207 tries and kicked over 600 goals, totaling 1,825 points. This makes him the third-highest points scorer in Hull Kingston Rovers' history. He holds the club's record for the most tries, with 207. He also scored eleven hat-tricks (three tries in one game) for Hull Kingston Rovers, one for Castleford, and two for Great Britain.

After his death, Hull Kingston Rovers decided to retire the number 6 jersey from their team, meaning no other player would wear that number as a tribute to Roger. A special jersey with the number 6 was given to his family at a game in May 2016.

In 2016, it was announced that Garrison Road in Hull would be renamed Roger Millward Way to honor him. The renaming ceremony took place in January 2018.

Honours

• MBE - 1983
• Rugby League Ashes Winner - 1970
• Rugby League World Cup Runner-Up - 1977
• Challenge Cup Winner - 1979/80 - Player-Coach (Runner-Up - 1980/81 - Coach, 1985/86 - Coach)
• Rugby League Championship Winner - 1978/79 - Player-Coach, 1983/84 - Coach, 1984/85 - Coach (Runner-Up - 1967/68, 1982/83 - Coach)
• John Player Trophy Winner - 1984/85 - Coach (Runner-Up - 1981/82 - Coach, 1985/86 - Coach)
• Rugby League Premiership Trophy - 1980/81 - Coach, 1983/84 - Coach (Runner-Up - 1984/85 - Coach)
• BBC2 Trophy - 1965/66, 1977/78 - Player-Coach (Runner-Up - 1979/80 - Player-Coach)
• Yorkshire Cup - 1966/67, 1967/68, 1971/72, 1974/75, 1985/86 - Coach (Runner-Up - 1975/76, 1980/81 - Coach, 1984/85 - Coach)
• Division Two Championship - 1989/90 - Coach (Runner-Up - 1974/75)
• Rugby League Hall of Fame - 2000
• Rugby League Coach of The Year - 1985
• Players No.6 RL Player of The Year - 1969
• Hull KR Player of The Year - 1968, 1969, 1975, 1976, 1978
• White Rose Trophy - 1975
• Hull KR Record Try Scorer (1966-1980) 207 Tries
• List of Hull Kingston Rovers players - Heritage No 700

Accolades

Honoured by Arriva Yorkshire

In 2009, a bus company called Arriva Yorkshire honored 13 rugby league players. They named a fleet of new buses after these players, who were chosen as the 'Arriva Yorkshire Rugby League Dream Team'. Roger Millward was one of these honored players, showing how much he was respected in the sport.