Francis Edward Cotton (born 3 January 1947) is a former
rugby union
Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...
prop
A prop, formally known as a (theatrical) property, is an object actors use on stage or screen during a performance or screen production. In practical terms, a prop is considered to be anything movable or portable on a stage or a set, distinct ...
forward who played for
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
and the
British Lions. His clubs included
Coventry R.F.C.
Coventry Rugby Football Club is a professional rugby union club based in Coventry, England. The club enjoyed great success during the 1960s and 70s, with many players representing their countries. Coventry's home ground is the Butts Park Arena, ...
and
Sale. A "fearsome" prop,
he was primarily a tighthead but also played to a high level at loosehead, winning three Lions caps in 1977 on the left of the front row and the
Grand Slam with England in 1980. After retiring, he remained in rugby administration and founded a clothing company. In 2007, Cotton returned to his former club Sale as a member of the club's board.
Cotton was born in
Wigan
Wigan ( ) is a town in Greater Manchester, England. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. It is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its ad ...
,
Lancashire
Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...
, and went to
Loughborough University
Loughborough University (abbreviated as ''Lough'' or ''Lboro'' for Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a public university, public research university in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, England. It has been a university sinc ...
to study physical education. Cotton was ahead of his time in terms of physical preparation. It was during these years that Cotton would win the
Glengarth Sevens at Davenport RUFC, now renamed
Stockport Rugby Club, along with
Steve Smith and
Clive Rees. Cotton made his England debut against Scotland in 1971 and played for them 31 times. He also captained the English team three times.
He represented the Lions on their tours to
South Africa in 1974 – playing in all four Tests in the series victory –
New Zealand in 1977 and
South Africa in 1980 when chest pains sent him home early. It was during the game against the Junior All Blacks on the 1977 tour that the famous 'Mudman' image of Cotton, standing at number one at the front of a lineout while caked head-to-toe in mud, was taken. Captured by
Colorsport's Colin Elsey, it became one of the most iconic images of rugby union. He considers the third test of the 1974 series the biggest and most violent game he was ever part of
Cotton was the Tour Manager for the
1997 British Lions tour to South Africa
The 1997 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa was a series of matches played by the British & Irish Lions rugby union team in South Africa. This tour followed the Lions' 1993 tour to New Zealand and preceded their 2001 British & Iris ...
.
With Steve Smith he founded the clothing company
Cotton Traders in 1987. In 2008 Cotton Traders was forced to pull out of
Burma
Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and ha ...
after an investigation by the Burma Campaign UK uncovered the company was sourcing clothing from Burma. Clothing exports generate significant income for the Burmese dictatorship.
Charitable work
He is an honorary president of the rugby charity
Wooden Spoon
A wooden spoon is a Kitchen utensil, utensil commonly used in food preparation. In addition to its culinary uses, wooden spoons also feature in folk art and culture.
History
The word ''spoon'' derives from an ancient word meaning a chip of woo ...
improving the lives of disadvantaged children and young people in Britain and Ireland.
References
External links
Rugby World. The Greatest Players. Fran CottonSporting heroes 1
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cotton, Fran
1947 births
Living people
Alumni of Loughborough University
British & Irish Lions rugby union players from England
British businesspeople
Coventry R.F.C. players
England international rugby sevens players
England international rugby union players
English rugby union players
English sportswriters
Lancashire County RFU players
Loughborough Students RUFC players
Male rugby sevens players
North of England Rugby Union team
Rugby union players from Wigan
Rugby union props
Liverpool St Helens F.C. players
20th-century English sportsmen