Sir Billy Boston Dies at 92 After Scoring 478 Tries for Wigan
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 25
Sir Billy Boston Dies at 92 After Scoring 478 Tries for Wigan
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 25
Summary
Billy Boston, the first rugby league figure knighted, died aged 92, closing the life of one of the sport’s most decorated and widely revered players.
478 tries in 488 Wigan games defined his club legacy after a 1953 switch from rugby union, a move sealed by a life-changing £3,000 professional deal.
36 tries on his 1954 Great Britain tour helped make him an international star, with Australia and New Zealand among the teams most punished by his scoring.
Wembley, Wigan and Cardiff all commemorate Boston in bronze, reflecting an influence that stretched beyond trophies to his role as a pioneering Black sporting icon in post-war Britain.
His death came just weeks after that of his wife, Lady Joan; Boston had remained a regular at Wigan matches and was still drawing ovations from crowds late in life.