Billy Watkins (rugby)

For other people with the same name, see William Watkins.

Billy Watkins

Personal information
Full name	William Watkins
Born	c. 1910
Died	January 1972 (aged 61)[1]
Playing information
Rugby union
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P Cross Keys RFC
Rugby league
Position	Scrum-half
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1931–46 Salford 435 14 0 0 42 1940–41 →Oldham RLFC (guest) 1 0 1 0 2 1946–48 Belle Vue Rangers Total 436 14 1 0 44 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1932–36 Wales 6 0 0 0 0 1933–37 Great Britain 1 0 0 0 0
Source: [2]

William Watkins (c. 1910 – January 1972) was a Welsh rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1930s and 1940s. He played club level rugby union (RU) for Cross Keys RFC, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Great Britain and Wales, and at club level for Salford and wartime-guest at Oldham RLFC, as a scrum-half.^[3]

Playing career

Salford

Watkins played in the 10–8 victory over Swinton in the 1931 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1931–32 season at The Cliff, Broughton, Salford on Saturday 21 November 1931.

Watkins played scrum-half in Salford's 3–15 defeat by Wigan in the Championship Final during the 1933–34 season at Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington on Saturday 28 April 1934.^[4]

Watkins was one of the players who successfully toured in France with Salford in 1934, during which the Salford team earned the name "Les Diables Rouges", the seventeen players were; Joe Bradbury, Bob Brown, Aubrey Casewell, Paddy Dalton, Bert Day, Cliff Evans, Jack Feetham, George Harris, Barney Hudson, Emlyn Jenkins, Alf Middleton, Sammy Miller, Harold Osbaldestin, Les Pearson, Gus Risman, Billy Watkins and Billy Williams.^[5]

He played in the 21–12 victory over Wigan in the 1934 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1934–35 season at Station Road, Swinton on Saturday 20 October 1934, the 15–7 victory over Wigan in the 1935 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1935–36 season at Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington on Saturday 19 October 1935 and the 5–2 victory over Wigan in the 1936 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1936–37 season at Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington.

Watkins played scrum-half in Salford's 7–4 victory over Barrow in the 1938 Challenge Cup Final during the 1937–38 season at Wembley Stadium, London, in front of a crowd of 51,243.

Watkins played scrum-half in the 7–10 defeat by Wigan in the 1938 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1938–39 season at Station Road, Swinton on Saturday 22 October 1938.^[6]

Belle Vue Rangers

Watkins signed for Belle Vue Rangers in August 1946.^[7]

International honours

Watkins won caps for Wales (RL) while at Salford in 1932–1936 6-caps, and won caps for Great Britain (RL) while at Salford in 1933 against Australia, in 1936 against Australia (2 matches), New Zealand (2 matches), and in 1937 against Australia (2 matches).^[2]

Family

Billy Watkins was the father of; Huw Watkins, Gareth Watkins and Haydn Watkins, and the grandfather of the cricketer, Ryan Watkins.

References

1. "Billy Watkins". The Guardian. London. 7 January 1972. p. 21.
2. "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
3. Williams, Graham; Lush, Peter; Farrar, David (2009). The British Rugby League Records Book. London League. pp. 108–114. ISBN 978-1-903659-49-6.
4. "1933–1934 Championship Final". wigan.rlfans.com. 31 December 2011. Archived from the original on 13 July 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
5. "The story of The Original Red Devils". reds.co.uk. 31 December 2011. Archived from the original on 11 January 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
6. "22nd October 1938: Salford 7 Wigan 10 (Lancashire Cup Final)". wigan.rlfans.com. 31 December 2014. Archived from the original on 7 September 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
7. Thornton, Eric (21 August 1946). "Belle Vue Rangers Sign Two Internationals". Manchester Evening News. p. 8 – via British Newspaper Archive.