Sir Billy Boston, rugby league's first knight and one of its greatest try-scorers, dies aged 92

Sir Billy Boston, the first rugby league player ever to receive a knighthood, has died at the age of 92. He passed away overnight in hospital in Wigan, the town he called home for 74 years, just four days after the funeral of his wife Lady Joan, to whom he had been married for seven decades. The Welsh Rugby Union confirmed his death on Tuesday and described him as one of the most iconic figures in Welsh sport. The Guardian

Boston was born in Cardiff's Tiger Bay and had an unremarkable stint in rugby union — the 15-a-side code — before Wigan signed him for £3,000 in 1953. He scored on his debut that November and barely stopped thereafter. In 488 appearances across the 1950s and 1960s, he crossed for 478 tries. Only Brian Bevan, the Australian wing who played mostly in England, scored more in the entire history of rugby league. Counting his brief spell with Blackpool Borough before retiring in 1970, Boston finished with 571 career tries — the best strike rate of any British player. BBC Sport

On the international stage he represented Great Britain 32 times, scoring 25 tries, and was part of the squad that lifted the Rugby League World Cup for the first time in 1960. At club level he won the Challenge Cup (rugby league's premier knockout competition) three times and a single First Division title. The Rugby Football League named him in its inaugural Hall of Fame in 1988. Wigan honoured him with a stand named after him at their old Central Park ground and repeated the tribute at the Brick Community Stadium in 2009. The Guardian

Recognition at the highest civic level came late. Boston received an MBE in 1996, but it was not until summer 2025 that he was knighted for services to rugby league — making him the first player in the 13-a-side code to receive the honour. Then prime minister Keir Starmer called the long wait for a rugby league knighthood a "historic wrong." Wigan owner Mike Danson said Boston was "everybody's hero" and that the knighthood was a fitting recognition of his career. The Guardian

After retirement, Boston ran the Griffin Hotel near Central Park and remained a regular at Wigan home games up until his death. Wigan planned tributes at their Super League fixture against Hull KR on Thursday evening. BBC Sport