The RFL proudly celebrates Black History Month 2025 with tribute to Sir Billy Boston

October marks Black History Month and the RFL are inherently proud to celebrate this year’s theme of “Standing Firm in Power and Pride.”

As the RFL celebrates Black History Month throughout October, we are proud to pay tribute to Sir Billy Boston. 

Earlier this year, Sir Billy Boston, an iconic Wigan Warriors legend and trailblazer, was awarded Rugby League’s first knighthood. At the age of ninety, he was knighted by King Charles at Buckingham Palace, becoming the first player in the sport’s 130-year history to receive this honour. 

But Sir Billy’s journey was not without challenges. Despite his remarkable talent, he faced racism in Rugby Union, which denied him the opportunity to represent Wales, his home nation. Choosing instead to pursue a career in Rugby League, he became one of the celebrated “codebreakers,” representing both Great Britain and Wigan Warriors, a true testament to Standing Firm in Power and Pride. 

Sir Billy overcame prejudice in his journey from working-class Cardiff to legendary status in Wigan, and remains the most prolific British try-scorer in the 130-year history of Rugby League.

Undoubtedly, Sir Billy’s influence transpires from on and off the field. Sir Billy has been praised for helping to open doors for Black players in the sport and he is also known as a trailblazer for Black sports stars during this time. 

This is a fitting statement to this year’s Black History Month theme and to the inclusive values of Rugby League.

Sir Billy Boston's story:

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 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.

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 stayed in Wigan after retirement, as the licensee of The Griffin in Standishgate, near Central Park, until 1995.

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.

Read about his recent knighthood here.