Billy Boston – “a prophet honoured in his own land”

Representatives of Pontypridd RFC attended a dinner organised by the Welsh Charitables RFC in honour of rugby league legend Billy Boston on Friday evening 27th October.

The event took place at the Mercure Hotel in Boston’s home city of Cardiff. The player who went on to become a league legend at Wigan was given little opportunity to impress in the union code in his homeland. It was shameful that racial prejudice against a black boy from the docks area prevented Boston from playing for his local city club.

He was however given limited opportunities to play by both Neath and Pontypridd.

Billy Boston (listed in club records as W. Boston, and selected at centre) played for Pontypridd on Boxing Day 1952, away against Cheltenham. It wasn’t a good day for Ponty who were 0-6 down at half time (two penalties), and conceded a further dropped goal and try to go 0-12 down. However, the newcomer W. Boston crossed for a try late in the game to salvage something for Pontypridd.

Boston took up on an offer to sign up for Rugby League giants Wigan in 1953 and went on to make 488 appearances, scoring a phenomenal 478 tries. He also played for Wales and Great Britain, achieving legendary status with statues erected in his honour outside the Wigan and Wembley stadiums.

The dinner in his honour at the Mercure Hotel finally gave Billy Boston some of the credit he deserved in his home city. Speeches made by rugby league greats Jim Mills and Ray French, and by journalist Peter Jackson, paid tribute to his unrivalled achievements as a player.

As Jackson had said in a previous article: “Wales needs to do something to show the world that Boston is a prophet with honour in his own land.” A statue in his image in his home city would be apt.

Pontypridd RFC can be proud to name Billy Boston, even as one who played only a cameo role, in its Hall of Fame.