SportRugby LeagueWigan WarriorsBilly Boston will leave behind a legacy that will endure for generations to come - while the word 'legend' felt like an understatement when it came to the try-scoring phenomenon14:49, 25 Aug 2026Updated 14:50, 25 Aug 2026Sir Billy Boston broke the mould. A pioneer of his chosen sport, one which he graced with such distinction and class.‌Boston also broke through tackles and broke down barriers in equal measure. From lighting up Wembley to crushing the great Australians at Sydney Cricket Ground, Boston went on to become a blur of speed, skill and strength few could - or ever will - be able to match.‌He scored an astonishing 478 tries in 488 games for Wigan, and helped Great Britain win the 1960 World Cup, scoring in the final defeat of the Aussies.‌But his glorious achievements on the pitch were matched off it as well. Boston was born in Cardiff in 1934 and had 10 siblings.He wanted to represent Cardiff at Rugby Union, but when his hometown club rejected him he joined Wigan as a teenager. He became the first black player to tour Down Under with Great Britain.‌He was one of the first players to be inducted into the Rugby League 'Hall of Fame', the first to be inducted into the Welsh one and is cast in bronze in both Wigan and Cardiff.And last but by no means least, in 2025 Boston became the first and only rugby league player to be knighted.‌He unified what was, at the time of his peak, a tribal and divided Rugby League community. To such an extent that his popularity in the game even stretched to St Helens, the long-time bitter rivals of his beloved Wigan.In a post-war Britain, Boston was the trailblazing black athlete who brought people together in a country adjusting to a more diverse way of life.The word 'legend' can be bandied about too often. But when it came to Boston, it felt like an understatement. That's how good he was. Arguably the greatest player Britain has ever had.Article continues belowA giant on the wing - and a sporting icon of the swinging Sixties, leading the way for all those greats who went on to switch codes after he did.Rivals spoke of Boston's hand off feeling like 'being hit in the face with a shovel'. Which feels ironic - because Boston dug himself a reputation for having set the kind of example that will endure for generations to come.Gone but never forgotten - Boston was truly one of a kind.Jeremy CrossJeremy joined the Daily Star in 2010 as Manchester football correspondent and for more than a decade has served as our Chief Sports Writer. He provides expert coverage on Manchester United and Manchester City, the Premier League as a whole, and the England football team. Jeremy has covered football, rugby and cricket World Cups, as well as Wimbledon, the golf majors and the Olympics.Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌Great Britain rugby league teamWigan Warriors