Rugby League Legend Sir Billy Boston Dies at 92
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Published Rugby league legend Sir Billy Boston has died aged 92. Last year, he became the first player in rugby league's 130-year history to receive a knighthood.
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The Guardian SportSir Billy Boston, the Wigan Warriors legend who last year became the first rugby league player to be awarded a knighthood, has died at the age of 92.
Sky SportsTrailblazing rugby league player Sir Billy Boston has died at the age of 92; He was the first ever rugby league player to receive a knighthood, ending a 130-year wait for such an honour; He was also the first Black player to represent Great Britain
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Boston was one of the finest players in the sport’s history, scoring 478 tries in 488 appearances for Wigan during a glittering career in the 1950s and 1960s that saw him become one of the great stars of the game. Only one man, Brian Bevan, has more tries in rugby league’s history than Boston and his tally for Wigan is unlikely to ever be beaten.
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Sky SportsAt 18 years of age in March 1953, Boston signed for Wigan before making his debut eight months later. That would be the first of 488 and crossing the whitewash became customary as he scored 478 tries across that time.
BBC SportBoston finished his playing career as a second row with Blackpool Borough. In all, Boston scored 571 tries in his career - a total surpassed only by Australian legend Brian Bevan in top-class rugby league - and is one of the truly great British rugby league players.
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In 1954 more history followed when Boston became the first non-white player to be selected for a Great Britain Rugby League Lions Tour.
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BBC SportDespite having played just a handful of games in league, the young winger's talent was quickly evident and Boston was picked for the 1954 Great Britain side that went to Australia and New Zealand - becoming the first black British player to tour down under.
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Boston became a World Cup winner in 1960, scoring a try in Great Britain's win over Australia and then a second Lions Tour followed in 1962.
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BBC SportBoston would go on to score 24 tries in 31 appearances for Great Britain and was part of the side that won the 1960 World Cup, scoring a try in the final as they beat Australia 10-3 at Odsal Stadium in Bradford.
3 details only one outlet reported
Independent claims that didn't surface elsewhere in our corpus. Treat as supplementary — not corroborated across outlets.
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01 Sky Sports 'One of rugby league's finest' - tributes paid to 'King of Wigan' Boston Wigan Warriors legend Colin Clarke:
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02 The Guardian Sport Those achievements in the game saw him recognised first with an MBE in 1996, before he was awarded a knighthood for services to rugby league last summer. At the time of the award the then prime minister, Keir Starmer, described it as a “historic wrong” that the sport had waited so long for a knighthood.
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03 BBC Sport Sir Billy was a fitting recipient of the honour and a world class athlete, whose story deserved to be told.
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Sources (3)
- guardian-sport
- bbc-sport
- skysports