St.Helens R.F.C. would like to congratulate Billy Boston after he was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire and became Sir William John Boston KBE.
A big moment for the sport of Rugby League, Boston has become the first person to be recognised from our sport’s 130-year history with a knighthood, receiving the honour at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, 10th June 2025, as part of King Charles III’s birthday honours list.
A legend of the game, the Cardiff-born player won was a trailblazer for black sports stars in the 1950s and 60s, featuring for Wigan 488 times and can boast an astonishing try tally of 478 scores for our fierce rivals, helping the club win three Challenge Cup trophies.
In 1954, Sir Billy 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 a second Lions tour in 1962 and scored a try in Great Britain’s victory over Australia in the 1960 World Cup Final, ending with 24 tries in 31 Test appearances for Great Britain, with an additional 53 tries from 27 further tour appearances.
St.Helens R.F.C. Chairman Eamonn McManus shared the Club’s congratulations to Sir Billy Boston, and said: “It is fantastic that one of our sport’s greatest players has finally been recognised with such a prestigious honour. We saw on Good Friday just how highly regarded Sir Billy is held by the rugby league community, and all at St.Helens offer our most heartfelt congratulations for his much-deserved knighthood.”
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.”
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.”
