22 Facts About Billy Boston

1.

Billy Boston spent the next 15 years at Wigan, where he scored a club-record 478 tries in his 488 appearances for the club.

2.

Billy Boston finished his career at Blackpool Borough before retiring in 1970.

3.

Billy Boston represented Great Britain in 31 Test matches, and was part of the team that won the 1960 Rugby League World Cup.

4.

Billy Boston began his rugby union career with the newly formed Cardiff Internationals Athletic Club.

5.

Billy Boston represented the Cardiff Schoolboys team in the late 1940s and went on to represent Wales in both the boys clubs' internationals and at Youth level.

6.

Billy Boston was already attracting attention and was given opportunities at two famous Welsh clubs, representing Neath RFC in 1950 and Pontypridd RFC in 1952.

7.

However, Billy Boston repeatedly stated his wishes to represent Cardiff RFC, telling one journalist that he cried after signing for Wigan as he knew his dreams of playing rugby union for Cardiff and Wales were over.

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8.

Billy Boston was called up for National Service with the Royal Signals at Catterick, North Yorkshire, and was scouted by a number of Rugby League clubs.

9.

Billy Boston stated that he still did not want to sign, but his mother had given their word, and Billy Boston signed the contract.

10.

Billy Boston made his 'A' team debut a crowd of 8,000 assembled inside Central Park, Wigan.

11.

Billy Boston made his first team debut against Barrow in November 1953 scoring a try.

12.

Billy Boston had an astonishing turn of speed for a big man and had the ultimate side step and was able to hand off opponents with apparent ease.

13.

Billy Boston played 31 games for Great Britain, and was the first player to score four tries in a game against New Zealand.

14.

Billy Boston was the first non-white player to be selected to tour Australia and New Zealand in 1954, on which he set a new record of 36 tries in 18 games.

15.

Billy Boston played in the 1962 tour, scoring a further 22 tries.

16.

Billy Boston represented Great Britain while at Wigan between 1952 and 1956 against France.

17.

Billy Boston twice equalled the then Wigan club record of seven tries in a game, only surpassed since by Martin Offiah and Shaun Edwards.

18.

Towards the end of his career, Billy Boston played for Blackpool Borough, making his final appearance in 1970.

19.

Billy Boston scored a total of 571 tries in his career, making him the second highest all-time try scorer in the history of the game after Brian Bevan.

20.

Billy Boston became one of fewer than twenty-five Welshmen to have scored more than 1,000-points in their rugby league career.

21.

The Billy Boston Stand at Central Park was named in his honour.

22.

In December 2020 Billy Boston was named as one of three Welsh rugby league players to be honoured with a new statue in Cardiff Bay, the other two being Gus Risman and Clive Sullivan.