French signs new deal
Wigan Warriors are delighted to announce that Bevan French has signed a one-year deal at the Club for 2021 with a further option for 2022.
Since joining the Club from Parramatta Eels last year, the Australian back has made 26 appearances for the Cherry and Whites and scored 22 tries in all competitions.
Born in New South Wales, the former Tingha Tigers RLFC junior played 47 games for Parramatta after making his professional debut in May 2016 and in 2017 he represented the Indigenous All Stars.
After moving to England midway through 2019, French made his debut for Wigan as he came off the bench in a win over Hull KR at the DW Stadium on 9th August. He scored a try on his first start for the Club a week later in a victory against Warrington Wolves.
Adding to his eight games and six tries last season, the full-back has bagged 16 touchdowns and seven assists in 18 games so far in the 2020 campaign.
Wigan Warriors executive director, Kris Radlinski, said: “This is a very important signing for the Club. At a time when the country needs good news, this should make everyone smile, not just Wigan fans.
“It is really sad that Bevan is producing moments of magic in front of empty stadiums. Bevan is box office and people like him need to be seen live to be appreciated. He is everything that the English Super League should be about. Young, exciting, articulate and the good news is that he is going to get better and better.
“We need to thank our owner Ian Lenagan for making this bold statement in challenging times. This is for the fans of Wigan to thank you for your continued love and support.”
On his new deal, French said: “I’m very happy to be here. Ever since I arrived, people in the Club, teammates and all the Wigan community have been really welcoming and I wanted to be able to spend the next year or two years here.
“It’s such a relief. It feels like a weight lifted off my shoulders now and I can really focus on the back end of the year.
“Making my decision has been easier thinking about the pros at Wigan. We’ve got great coaching staff here and a great bunch of players. It’s an honour to play with some of the players in this team.
“Being over here by myself you would say has been tough, but you learn a lot about yourself and tend to grow as a person and hopefully I can continue to do that.
“My family in Australia try to watch every game and the main thing they tend to enjoy watching is seeing me with a smile on my face – that’s a big message from my mum, who thinks I look happy here. I’ve still got a lot more to achieve and I want them to see me win some silverware this year and hopefully some more next year.”