Sir Billy Boston becomes rugby league's first knight

Messages of congratulations have poured in after Billy Boston became the first player to receive a knighthood for services to rugby league in the code's 130-year history.

Boston was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) and became Sir William John Boston KBE at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday.

United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer posted on social media: "Billy Boston is a true trailblazer who has contributed hugely to rugby league. 

"It’s a historic wrong that a sport which is the backbone of many communities has waited so long to receive this honour.

"Boston is a legend of the game who overcame prejudice to represent Great Britain and opened the door to a more diverse game. He has left a truly enduring legacy. The first knighthood in rugby league could not go to a more deserving player."

Tony Sutton, the Chief Executive of the RFL, said: “On behalf of the Rugby Football League, and the sport of Rugby League, it is a privilege to congratulate Sir Billy Boston on his knighthood.

“Sir Billy deserves to be recognised as an iconic figure in the history of British sport, for the way he overcame prejudice in his journey from working-class Cardiff to legendary status in Wigan, and became the most prolific British try-scorer in the 130-year history of Rugby League.

“This recognition is also significant for Rugby League, as Sir Billy becomes the first person to be knighted as a direct result of his achievements in the sport.”

In the 130 year history of the sport, the only other rugby league player to receive a knighthood is Billy Bulmer, who played in the first England side in 1904, but he was knighted for public services in 1922, not sport. Boston’s honour is a rugby league first.

Sir Billy Boston was born in Cardiff on August 6, 1934, with family links to Ireland and Sierra Leone.

He signed for Wigan in March 1953 after originally coming north for military service in North Yorkshire, making his debut at Central Park eight months later for the first of 488 appearances for the club, in which he scored 478 tries, and was three times a winner in six Challenge Cup Final appearances at Wembley.

In 1954 he made history as the first non-white player to be selected for a Great Britain Rugby League Lions tour, scoring 36 tries in 18 appearances around Australia and New Zealand, including a then-record four in one match against the Kiwis.

He made two more Lions tours in 1958 and 1962 and ended with 24 tries in 31 Test appearances for Great Britain, with an additional 53 tries from 27 further tour appearances.

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.”

In total, Boston scored 571 tries in a career which ended at the age of 36, after a brief cameo with Blackpool Borough – second only in the history of Rugby League to Brian Bevan, an Australian who scored 796 between 1942 and 1964, mostly for Warrington.

He was awarded the MBE in 1996, and was one of the first inductees in the Rugby League Hall of Fame in 1998, joining the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame the following year.

He received the freedom of Wigan in 2000 and is immortalised in three statues, in Wigan, Wales and at Wembley.

Josh Simons, who became the MP for Makerfield – the constituency in which Sir Billy now lives – said: “I'm so proud that Billy, my constituent, a hero of Rugby League, will now be Sir Billy Boston.

“It's a special moment for his family, the town, and the sport. Presenting Billy with a letter about his knighthood was an emotional moment and I’m honoured to be supporting Billy and his family at the Palace.

“Billy is a remarkable man. He was spurned by Cardiff and South Africa because of his race, but welcomed by Wigan and went on to be Rugby League’s greatest ever player.

“Finally, Rugby League is getting the recognition it deserves, after years of being overlooked and belittled as a 'northern sport'. I’m so that Billy will forever be the first Rugby League player to be knighted. Nobody could be more deserving.”

David Baines, the Chair of Rugby League’s All-Party Parliamentary Group, added:

“I can think of no better candidate to become Rugby League’s first knight than Billy Boston. In his career and in his life he has overcome racial and class prejudice, achieving huge success on the pitch and leaving a lasting legacy in our communities and on our national sporting landscape.

“It is a scandal that it has taken 130 years for a Rugby League player to be given the highest honour. As Chair of the APPG for Rugby League since last summer I’ve raised this in public and in private, and I would like to thank the Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, Makerfield MP Josh Simons, the Rugby Football League, and all those who have campaigned for this for so long. 

“I am absolutely delighted for Billy and his family and for our game as a whole. This is a huge moment, and I will be continuing to fight to make sure it isn’t the last time one of our players is recognised in this way. We have lots of very worthy candidates.

“All my congratulations go to Sir Billy Boston MBE for this achievement. He has led the way throughout his life, and now he does so again. We should all be grateful."