LeagueNews.co | Robbie Hamilton
Billy Boston, the first non-white player to represent Great Britain on a Lions tour, will be awarded rugby league's first knighthood at Buckingham Palace, marking a significant honor after 130 years for the sport.
According to reports from Sky Sports, the 90-year-old Cardiff-born athlete made a remarkable impact during the 1950s and 1960s, achieving 488 appearances for Wigan and setting a British record with 571 tries to his name.
Boston made history in 1954 by becoming the first non-white player to participate in a Lions tour, where he scored 36 tries in 18 matches in Australia and New Zealand.
He played a total of 31 international Test matches throughout his career.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy praised Boston's knighthood as "a historic milestone providing fitting recognition for the greatest player rugby league has ever seen." She added, "As MP for Wigan, this is a proud day for the town, for the Welsh nation, for rugby league fans across the country and, most importantly, for Billy and his family." Nandy emphasized that this knighthood is long overdue, stating, "The first knighthood for a rugby league player is long overdue recognition for a game that has contributed so much to the national life.
This is the moment we right a historic wrong."