Denis Betts
Encyclopedia
Denis C. Betts is an English
rugby league
coach and former player. He is the current head coach of the Widnes Vikings
in the Engage Super League. He played for Wigan
in the Rugby League Premiership
and the Australian NRL, for the Auckland Warriors
, and also represented England
at the 1995 Rugby League World Cup
. In total, he was capped 32 times for Great Britain
. His usual position was as a second-row forward.
Betts signed for Wigan from Leigh Miners ARL (also known as Leigh Rangers) on 14 October 1986.
s, three Premierships
, four John Player/Regal Trophies
and two Lancashire Cups
. He also received the Lance Todd Trophy
(1991) and the coveted Man of Steel
award (1995).
He featured in three World Club Challenge
matches for Wigan, winning two, against the Penrith Panthers
in 1991 and the Brisbane Broncos
1994.
During the 1992–93 Rugby Football League season Betts played at second-row forward for defending RFL champions Wigan in the 1992 World Club Challenge
against the visiting Brisbane Broncos
.
After the 1993–94 Rugby Football League season Betts travelled with defending champions Wigan
to Brisbane, playing in the second row in the 1994 World Club Challenge
victory over Australian premiers, the Brisbane Broncos
.
Betts had the honour of scoring the opening try in the last game at Central Park and the first try at the JJB Stadium
.
At the height of the Super League War
he signed a lucrative deal with the Auckland Warriors
in 1995, but returned to Wigan in 1998, and played in the side that lost to Sheffield Eagles
in the Challenge Cup
Final that year. He missed the 1998 Super League Grand Final
win that year through injury, but played in the losing Grand Final sides of 2000 and 2001. Betts was persuaded to retire from playing at the age of 32, in order to help Wigan get under the salary cap.
He made 32 appearances for Great Britain, the joint highest ever for a forward, and toured three times, in 1990, 1992 and 1996. He was also the vice-captain of England
in the 95 World cup final
, which they lost to Australia at Wembley Stadium
.
Betts is the only player to win both England
and Great Britain
caps whilst at the Auckland Warriors
.
was sacked as Wigan coach, and he was replaced by Mike Gregory
. Mike then appointed Denis as his assistant. Wigan's results improved and they went on reach the Grand Final, only to lose to Bradford
. The following season, Wigan reached another final, losing this time to St Helens in the Challenge Cup final. Betts then took temporary charge in May 2004 when Gregory stepped down due to illness. He held the position for a year before he was moved sideways by the club to make way for the appointment of new head coach Ian Millward
, who had left St Helens just two weeks earlier and was recruited for his experience. Betts continued to work under Millward until the end of the 2005 season but left in November after refusing to take a post as coaching the academy U21 side.
In January 2006 he took up a post as skills and development coach with Guinness Premiership
rugby union
club Gloucester
, a position which he left in June 2010, despite having another year on his contract. Speaking about his time at Gloucester, he said "It’s a really passionate place and I hope they can get the success they deserve. I really enjoyed the place, especially the match-day atmosphere and the Shed."
While at Gloucester, Betts emerged as a surprise contender for the vacant England
coaching job, which he applied for in March 2010, ultimately losing out to Bradford's
Steve McNamara
.
In November 2010, Betts was appointed as coach of Championship side Widnes Vikings. In May 2011, he was reappointed to manage Widnes into the Super League in 2014.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
coach and former player. He is the current head coach of the Widnes Vikings
Widnes Vikings
Widnes Vikings RLFC are an English professional rugby league club based in Widnes, Cheshire. They currently play in the Engage Super League, the top tier of European rugby league, after being awarded a license to compete in the top-flight Super League from 2012 onward...
in the Engage Super League. He played for Wigan
Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
in the Rugby League Premiership
Rugby League Premiership
The Rugby League Premiership was a competition for British rugby league clubs that operated between 1973 and 1995. As the Super League Premiership the competition continued to operate until 1997....
and the Australian NRL, for the Auckland Warriors
New Zealand Warriors
The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership and are the League's only team from outside Australia...
, and also represented England
England national rugby league team
The England national rugby league team represent England in international rugby league football tournaments. The team has now seen a revival, having largely formed from the Great Britain team, who also represented Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The team is run under the auspices of the Rugby Football...
at the 1995 Rugby League World Cup
1995 Rugby League World Cup
The 1995 Rugby League World Cup was held during October in the United Kingdom. It was the eleventh staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was marketed as the Halifax Centenary World Cup, reflecting the tournament's sponsorship and the fact that 1995 marked the 100th birthday of the sport...
. In total, he was capped 32 times for Great Britain
Great Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
. His usual position was as a second-row forward.
Early Life
Betts attended Clarendon High School and has a younger brother, Darren Betts - also a talented rugby and football Player who played for Salford City Reds in the 1990s. Denis was also a former Manchester United youth team player and was featured in an Inside United article in 2008 about former United players who went on to succeed in other sports.Betts signed for Wigan from Leigh Miners ARL (also known as Leigh Rangers) on 14 October 1986.
Playing Career
He galvanised a great Wigan team, his own medal haul including six Championships, seven Rugby League Challenge CupChallenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
s, three Premierships
Rugby League Premiership
The Rugby League Premiership was a competition for British rugby league clubs that operated between 1973 and 1995. As the Super League Premiership the competition continued to operate until 1997....
, four John Player/Regal Trophies
Regal Trophy
The Regal Trophy was a knock-out competition for British rugby league football clubs between 1971 and 1996.It was initially for professional clubs with the exception of two amateur teams who were finalists of the BARLA National Cup...
and two Lancashire Cups
Rugby league county cups
Historically, British rugby league clubs competed for the Lancashire Cup and the Yorkshire Cup, known collectively as the county cups. The leading rugby clubs in Yorkshire had played in a cup competition for several years prior to the schism of 1895...
. He also received the Lance Todd Trophy
Lance Todd Trophy
The Lance Todd Trophy is awarded to the Man-of-the-Match in rugby league football's Challenge Cup Final.The trophy was introduced in 1946, in memory of Lance Todd, the New Zealand-born player and administrator, who was killed in a road accident during the Second World War...
(1991) and the coveted Man of Steel
Man of Steel
Man of Steel may refer to:* Superman, the comic book superhero, whom the nickname "The Man of Steel" commonly refers to** The Man of Steel , a six-issue comic book limited series about Superman released in 1986 by DC Comics...
award (1995).
He featured in three World Club Challenge
World Club Challenge
The World Club Challenge is an annual rugby league football match held between the champions of the Australasian National Rugby League and the European Super League competitions to determine the world's best rugby league club...
matches for Wigan, winning two, against the Penrith Panthers
Penrith Panthers
The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, the top rugby league football competition in Australasia. For the 2012 NRL season they will be coached by Ivan...
in 1991 and the Brisbane Broncos
Brisbane Broncos
The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the city of Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland. Founded in 1988, the Broncos play in Australasia's elite competition, the National Rugby League premiership. They have won six premierships and two...
1994.
During the 1992–93 Rugby Football League season Betts played at second-row forward for defending RFL champions Wigan in the 1992 World Club Challenge
1992 World Club Challenge
The 1992 World Club Challenge match was contested by the 1991–92 Rugby Football League season champions Wigan and the 1992 NSWRL season's premiers, the Brisbane Broncos...
against the visiting Brisbane Broncos
Brisbane Broncos
The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the city of Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland. Founded in 1988, the Broncos play in Australasia's elite competition, the National Rugby League premiership. They have won six premierships and two...
.
After the 1993–94 Rugby Football League season Betts travelled with defending champions Wigan
Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
to Brisbane, playing in the second row in the 1994 World Club Challenge
1994 World Club Challenge
The 1994 MMI World Club Challenge was a replay of the 1992 World Club Challenge, with 1993–94 Rugby Football League season champions Wigan facing the 1993 NSWRL season premiers, the Brisbane Broncos, this time in Australia. Wigan were clearly the dominant club in the English game, having won the...
victory over Australian premiers, the Brisbane Broncos
Brisbane Broncos
The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the city of Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland. Founded in 1988, the Broncos play in Australasia's elite competition, the National Rugby League premiership. They have won six premierships and two...
.
Betts had the honour of scoring the opening try in the last game at Central Park and the first try at the JJB Stadium
JJB Stadium
The DW Stadium is a sports stadium in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England, that is home to Wigan Athletic football club and Wigan Warriors rugby league club....
.
At the height of the Super League War
Super League war
The Super League war is the common name given to the corporate dispute that was fought in and out of court during the mid-1990s between the Rupert Murdoch and News Corporation-backed Super League and the Kerry Packer and Optus Vision-backed Australian Rugby League organisations over broadcasting...
he signed a lucrative deal with the Auckland Warriors
New Zealand Warriors
The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership and are the League's only team from outside Australia...
in 1995, but returned to Wigan in 1998, and played in the side that lost to Sheffield Eagles
Sheffield Eagles
Sheffield Eagles RLFC are an English rugby league club based in the South Yorkshire city of Sheffield. They currently play in the Co-operative Championship. Their home games are played at Bramall Lane after leaving Don Valley Stadium in late 2009....
in the Challenge Cup
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
Final that year. He missed the 1998 Super League Grand Final
1998 Super League Grand Final
The 1998 JJB Super League Grand Final was the first Grand Final of the Super League era, held on Saturday 24 October 1998, at Old Trafford, Manchester, United Kingdom. This was the first time the Rugby Football League Championship had been decided by play-off since the 1972–73 Rugby Football League...
win that year through injury, but played in the losing Grand Final sides of 2000 and 2001. Betts was persuaded to retire from playing at the age of 32, in order to help Wigan get under the salary cap.
He made 32 appearances for Great Britain, the joint highest ever for a forward, and toured three times, in 1990, 1992 and 1996. He was also the vice-captain of England
England national rugby league team
The England national rugby league team represent England in international rugby league football tournaments. The team has now seen a revival, having largely formed from the Great Britain team, who also represented Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The team is run under the auspices of the Rugby Football...
in the 95 World cup final
1995 Rugby League World Cup
The 1995 Rugby League World Cup was held during October in the United Kingdom. It was the eleventh staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was marketed as the Halifax Centenary World Cup, reflecting the tournament's sponsorship and the fact that 1995 marked the 100th birthday of the sport...
, which they lost to Australia at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
.
Betts is the only player to win both England
England national rugby league team
The England national rugby league team represent England in international rugby league football tournaments. The team has now seen a revival, having largely formed from the Great Britain team, who also represented Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The team is run under the auspices of the Rugby Football...
and Great Britain
Great Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
caps whilst at the Auckland Warriors
New Zealand Warriors
The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership and are the League's only team from outside Australia...
.
Coaching career
At the end of 2001, Betts moved into coaching as under-18s coach at Wigan, and progressed to under-21s, which he led to victory in the 2003 U21 Grand Final. In July 2003, Stuart RaperStuart Raper
Stuart Raper is an Australian former professional rugby league player and coach. He has since become a sideline commentator for the NRL with Foxsports...
was sacked as Wigan coach, and he was replaced by Mike Gregory
Mike Gregory
Michael Keith "Mike" Gregory , was a rugby league player and later coach; the former head coach of Wigan and player for Warrington and Great Britain.-Playing career:...
. Mike then appointed Denis as his assistant. Wigan's results improved and they went on reach the Grand Final, only to lose to Bradford
Bradford Bulls
Bradford Bulls is a professional rugby league club based in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. They play in the European Super League and are currently joint 10th in the league....
. The following season, Wigan reached another final, losing this time to St Helens in the Challenge Cup final. Betts then took temporary charge in May 2004 when Gregory stepped down due to illness. He held the position for a year before he was moved sideways by the club to make way for the appointment of new head coach Ian Millward
Ian Millward
Ian Millward is an Australian rugby league coach and former player. Millward is currently the head coach at Super League side Castleford....
, who had left St Helens just two weeks earlier and was recruited for his experience. Betts continued to work under Millward until the end of the 2005 season but left in November after refusing to take a post as coaching the academy U21 side.
In January 2006 he took up a post as skills and development coach with Guinness Premiership
Guinness Premiership
The English Premiership, also currently known as the Aviva Premiership because of the league's sponsorship by Aviva, is a professional league competition for rugby union football clubs in the top division of the English rugby system. There are twelve clubs in the Premiership...
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...
club Gloucester
Gloucester RFC
Gloucester Rugby are a professional English rugby union club situated in the west country city of Gloucester. The club plays in the domestic Aviva Premiership...
, a position which he left in June 2010, despite having another year on his contract. Speaking about his time at Gloucester, he said "It’s a really passionate place and I hope they can get the success they deserve. I really enjoyed the place, especially the match-day atmosphere and the Shed."
While at Gloucester, Betts emerged as a surprise contender for the vacant England
England national rugby league team
The England national rugby league team represent England in international rugby league football tournaments. The team has now seen a revival, having largely formed from the Great Britain team, who also represented Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The team is run under the auspices of the Rugby Football...
coaching job, which he applied for in March 2010, ultimately losing out to Bradford's
Bradford Bulls
Bradford Bulls is a professional rugby league club based in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. They play in the European Super League and are currently joint 10th in the league....
Steve McNamara
Steve McNamara
Steve McNamara is an English professional rugby league football coach and former player. He is currently coach of the England national team.-International honours:...
.
In November 2010, Betts was appointed as coach of Championship side Widnes Vikings. In May 2011, he was reappointed to manage Widnes into the Super League in 2014.
External links
- Denis Betts Wigan Playing Career Page on the Wigan RL Fansite.
- Denis Betts Wigan Coaching Career Page on the Wigan RL Fansite.
- International Statistics at englandrl.co.uk
- Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org
- When Britain defeated the Aussies