David Gwyn Francis was a Welsh

Wales

Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

 international rugby union

Rugby union

Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

 player, who played for the Welsh national side

Wales national rugby union team

The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...

 twice (in 1919 and 1924).

Life

Francis was educated at Jesus College, Oxford

Jesus College, Oxford

Jesus College is one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship Street, Cornmarket Street and Market Street...

, where he was part of the college rugby team that won the Oxford University inter-collegiate

Colleges of the University of Oxford

The University of Oxford comprises 38 Colleges and 6 Permanent Private Halls of religious foundation. Colleges and PPHs are autonomous self-governing corporations within the university, and all teaching staff and students studying for a degree of the university must belong to one of the colleges...

 cup in 1920. Francis also played for the University rugby team

Oxford University RFC

The Oxford University Rugby Football Club is the rugby union club of the University of Oxford. The club contests The Varsity Match every year against Cambridge University at Twickenham.-History:...

, winning his "Blue" in 1919. He won his first cap for Wales in 1919, playing at lock in a friendly against a New Zealand Services XV. In 1921 he took charge of Rugby at Reading School

Reading School

Reading School is a state-funded, selective academy school for boys in the English town of Reading. It is notable for tracing its history back to the school of Reading Abbey, making it one of the oldest schools in England. There are no tuition fees for day pupils, and boarders only pay for food and...

, and in 1924 captained London Welsh RFC and Surrey RFC. He won his second cap in 1924, playing against Scotland in the Home Nations Championship

Six Nations Championship

The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....

. He was a rugby referee for 28 years, and helped to found the Berkshire Rugby Football Union, serving as chairman for 24 years. A club room at Redingensians R.F.C.

Redingensians R.F.C.

Redingensians R.F.C is an English Rugby Union club. The club is near the village of Sonning on the outskirts of Reading in the county of Berkshire.-History:...

(a club that was formed for former pupils of Reading School) is named after Francis, as is a prize awarded by Berkshire rugby referees for club hospitality.