Rugby League is finally set to receive its first-ever knighthood in the King’s Birthday Honours list this coming week, with the honour handed to Wigan legend Billy Boston today.
Despite being formed in 1895, no rugby league player had even been made into either a knight or a dame but that is now set to change.
Wigan Warriors legend Billy Boston will become Sir Billy Boston with his services to rugby league now finally recognised. Boston scored 478 tries for Wigan in 488 appearances and was a Challenge Cup winner three times.
He also represented Great Britain on 31 occasions, scoring 24 tries to cement his legacy as one of the finest that our sport has ever seen.
Only now has he been knighted and recognised with Boston set to be made a Knight Commander of the British Empire, becoming Sir William John Boston.
Wigan Warriors legend Billy Boston becomes first knight of rugby league
The news was confirmed by the RFL with Chief Executive Tony Sutton among those to congratulate Sir Billy.
Sutton 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.”
Wigan MP Lisa Nandy had previously called for Boston to become the sport’s first-ever player to be knighted whilst more recently calls had been made to end the sport’s 130-year wait for such an honour.
One of those leading those calls was David Baines, MP for St Helens and the Chair of Rugby League’s All-Party Parliamentary Group, who 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.”
👏 The Rugby Football League today congratulates Billy Boston following the news that he is to be made a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE), and become Sir William John Boston KBE…
— Rugby Football League (@TheRFL) June 9, 2025
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