Wales Rugby League have congratulated Cardiff’s own Billy Boston, who is to become the first person to become a Knight for services to rugby league, where he is the second highest all-time try scorer in the history of the sport.
He is to be made a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) and become Sir William John Boston KBE.
The ceremony is at Buckingham Palace tomorrow (Tuesday), brought forward due to concerns over Boston’s health.
Wales Rugby League President, Mike Nicholas MBE, said: “It’s wonderful for Billy and for the sport of rugby league, it’s a first for our sport and there’s no-one who deserves it more than Billy.
“It’s brilliant that he’s going to be honoured in this way, massive congratulations to him.”
WRL chairman James Davies said: “We are absolutely thrilled for Billy that he has finally received this wonderful recognition.
“He is undoubtedly one of Wales’ greatest ever sportspeople, overcoming prejudice to write his name into the rich history of rugby league as one of the greatest to ever play the game.
“We are immensely proud of what Billy has accomplished in his life. He has inspired so many and it’s part of our responsibilites to ensure his story will continue to do so for years to come.
“Llongyfarchiadau, Sir Billy Boston.”
Boston, who celebrated his 90th birthday last year, was previously awarded an MBE for his services to sport in 1986.
He has received many other accolades thanks to his rugby league career.
The Billy Boston Stand at Central Park was named in his honour. Similarly, the East Stand at the new Wigan stadium was officially renamed after him in 2009.
He is in the Wigan, Great Britain and Wales Halls of Fame, and in 1989 was named on the inaugural Welsh Sports Hall of Fame’s ‘Roll of Honour’ and was made MBE for his services to sport in 1986.
In 2012, “Sporting Equals” named him in the top ten black sportsmen and women ever and he was given a lifetime achievement award by the BBC in 2016.
He has three statues dedicated to him. One at Wigan, a second at Wembley Stadium, and another in Cardiff Bay where he is immortalised alongside Gus Risman and Clive Sullivan, which was unveiled in July 2023.
Sir William John Boston KBE scored 571 tries in 564 appearances his rugby league career. Many of those were in international rugby league where he played for Wales, Great Britain and Other Nationalities.
He won 32 caps for Great Britain, scoring 25 tries, and helped them win the World Cup in 1960, becoming their first non-white tourist in Australia. He also helped them to Ashes Series wins against Australia at home in 1956/1957 and 1959/1960, and away in 1962. He scored a further 53 tries in 28 tour representative matches for the Lions.
His two Other Nationalities caps came in the 1955-56 European Championship where he scored five tries in two games as he and seven other Welshmen were in the squad as they beat England and France to win that season’s title. Because of injuries, and the fact that Wales played few games throughout his career, he only wore a Welsh shirt for a match once, an uncapped game against France B in 1955.
Born in Angelina Street in Tiger Bay, Cardiff, Boston went to South Church Street School and played for Cardiff Schools, Boys Clubs of Wales, Wales Youth, the CIACS, Pontypridd and Neath in rugby union. He signed for Wigan while still a teenager for £3,000. It was a good deal for Wigan as Billy went on to score 478 tries in 487 matches for them, helping them to win three of the six Challenge Cup finals they reached in his 15 seasons at the club. He also scored twice in their 1960 Championship final victory earning Wigan their first title in eight years, and picked up two Lancashire League and one Lancashire Cup winners medals. Towards the end of his career, he played for Blackpool Borough, making his final appearance in 1970. After finishing his playing career, he took over the running of the Griffin Hotel pub near Wigan’s Central Park ground until his retirement.
