Civic ceremony for rugby league's Sir Billy Boston
· Yahoo Sports
A civic celebration has taken place for Wigan rugby league legend Sir Billy Boston.
The service was to mark a new plaque being added to his statue in his adopted home of Wigan, after he was knighted last year.
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Sir Billy, who was diagnosed with dementia about a decade ago, was at the event at Wigan town hall on Monday along with local politicians and family members including his grandson.
The 91-year-old faced prejudice in rugby union in the 1950s because of his ethnicity and switched to rugby league where he won three Challenge Cups with Wigan Warriors and made 31 appearances for Great Britain.
The statue of Sir Billy Boston in Believe Square, Wigan, was unveiled in 2016 [BBC]Prof Chris Brookes, chairman of Wigan Warriors, told BBC Radio Manchester: "There are now not many people who will remember seeing him play.
"No-one, though, will ever forget the contribution he made to the sport of rugby league."
Leader of Wigan Council, David Molyneux, who also attended the event said Sir Billy is a "legend of rugby league".
"The first knight of the sport. He made almost 500 appearances for Wigan in the 1950s and 1960s and scored tries at the rate of one a game - more than 570 by the end of his career."
Sir Billy scored two tries for Wigan in the 1959 rugby league Challenge Cup final at Wembley [PA Media]The bronze statue of Sir Billy in Wigan's Believe Square was unveiled in 2016.
There is also a statue of the rugby league great in his home town of Cardiff as well as one outside Wembley stadium and he has been recognised for helping to open doors for black players in sport.
He was the first non-white player to represent Great Britain on a Lions Tour in 1954.
Sir Billy was awarded his knighthood early - before the King's birthday honours list was officially announced - because of concerns over his health.
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