Billy O'Neill
Encyclopedia
William "Billy" O'Neill often recorded as Billy O'Neil or Billy Neil (5 June 1878 – 2 April 1955) was a Welsh
international dual-code rugby
front row player who played club rugby under the union code
for Cardiff
and Aberavon
and as a professional rugby league
player he represented Warrington
. O'Neill was capped eleven times for the Wales rugby union national team
and twice for the Wales national league team
. Although playing throughout the 1904/1905 season, he missed the classic 1905 Wales win over the Original All Blacks. He is often registered in many sources under the name Billy Neill or Neil, though in more recent references he is named as O'Neill.
, O'Neill played rugby for St. Peters RFC
. O'Neill was first selected to play international rugby for Wales in a game against Scotland as part of the 1904 Home Nations Championship
. Now playing for first class team Cardiff, and under the captaincy of Llwynypia's
Willie Llewellyn
, Wales won the game fairly easily, despite the rough play from Scotland's Bedell-Sivright
. O'Neill was reselected for the very next game against Ireland, which Wales narrowly lost. O'Neill played in all three matches of the 1905 Championship
which saw Wales win the tournament and the Triple Crown
for the fourth time.
O'Neill missed the next Wales game, the historic match against the first touring All Blacks, but was available for Cardiff against the same touring team ten days later. He also missed the Wales game against the first touring South African team, though was fit and well to represent both Glamorgan and Cardiff against the Springboks. Glamorgan lost 6-3, but the Cardiff team caused the biggest upset of the tour by outclassing the South Africans 17-0, only their second loss of the tour. O'Neill was back in the Welsh squad the next season playing two of the games in the 1907 Home Nations Championship
and was in all four matches of the 1908 tournament
. Wales won all their matches and lifted their fifth Triple Crown, giving O'Neill his second trophy.
In 1908, O'Neill turned his back on the amateur rugby union game by switching to professional rugby league. He joined Warrington, playing his first game for the club on 17 October 1908. After just two months as a professional rugby player he was selected for the Wales national league team, in an encounter with England at Broughton. He played one more international match, again against England, at Wakefield in 1909.
Wales (rugby league) 1908, 1909
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
international dual-code rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
front row player who played club rugby under the union code
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
for Cardiff
Cardiff RFC
Cardiff Rugby Football Club is a rugby union football club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, but soon relocated to Cardiff Arms Park where they have been based ever since...
and Aberavon
Aberavon RFC
Aberavon RFC is a rugby union club located in the Welsh town of Port Talbot, although the club's name refers to the older settlement of Aberavon which lies on the western side of the town...
and as a professional rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
player he represented Warrington
Warrington Wolves
Warrington Wolves are a professional rugby league football club based in Warrington, England that competes in Super League. They play at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2003....
. O'Neill was capped eleven times for the Wales rugby union national team
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
and twice for the Wales national league team
Wales national rugby league team
The Wales national rugby league team represent Wales in international rugby league football matches. Currently the team is seventh in the RLIF World Rankings. The team were run under the auspices of the Rugby Football League, but an independent body, Wales Rugby League, now runs the team from...
. Although playing throughout the 1904/1905 season, he missed the classic 1905 Wales win over the Original All Blacks. He is often registered in many sources under the name Billy Neill or Neil, though in more recent references he is named as O'Neill.
Rugby career
Educated at St Peter's School in RoathRoath
Roath is a district in the east/north-east of the city of Cardiff, capital of Wales.It lies just east/north east of the city centre, stretching from Adamsdown in the south to Roath Park in the north. Roath contains the Plasnewydd electoral ward. The name is believed to originate from Irish ráth,...
, O'Neill played rugby for St. Peters RFC
St. Peters RFC
St Peters Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team from the district of Roath, in Cardiff, South Wales. The club plays their home games at the Harlequins Playing Field, located off Newport Road...
. O'Neill was first selected to play international rugby for Wales in a game against Scotland as part of the 1904 Home Nations Championship
1904 Home Nations Championship
The 1904 Home Nations Championship was the twenty-second series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 9 January and 19 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.-Table:-Results:...
. Now playing for first class team Cardiff, and under the captaincy of Llwynypia's
Llwynypia RFC
Llwynypia RFC was a rugby union club located in the Welsh village of Llwynypia in the Rhondda. The team provided several international players during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, most notably Willie Llewellyn, who was not only selected to represent Wales while playing at the club, but...
Willie Llewellyn
Willie Llewellyn
William Morris "Willie" Llewellyn was a Welsh international rugby union player. He captained Wales in 1905 and London Welsh in 1902. He was a member of the winning Welsh team who beat the 1905 touring All Blacks, toured with the British Isles to Australasia in 1904 and won three Triple Crown...
, Wales won the game fairly easily, despite the rough play from Scotland's Bedell-Sivright
David Bedell-Sivright
David Revell "Darkie" Bedell-Sivright was a Scottish international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Cambridge and Edinburgh Universities. Bedell-Sivright was one of the true characters of the sport of rugby and was chosen to lead a British Isles team on a tour of Australia...
. O'Neill was reselected for the very next game against Ireland, which Wales narrowly lost. O'Neill played in all three matches of the 1905 Championship
1905 Home Nations Championship
The 1905 Home Nations Championship was the twenty-third series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 14 January and 18 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales....
which saw Wales win the tournament and the Triple Crown
Triple Crown (Rugby Union)
In rugby union, the Triple Crown is an honour contested annually by the four national teams of the British Isles who compete within the larger Six Nations Championship: England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. If any one team manages to win all their games against the other three they win the...
for the fourth time.
O'Neill missed the next Wales game, the historic match against the first touring All Blacks, but was available for Cardiff against the same touring team ten days later. He also missed the Wales game against the first touring South African team, though was fit and well to represent both Glamorgan and Cardiff against the Springboks. Glamorgan lost 6-3, but the Cardiff team caused the biggest upset of the tour by outclassing the South Africans 17-0, only their second loss of the tour. O'Neill was back in the Welsh squad the next season playing two of the games in the 1907 Home Nations Championship
1907 Home Nations Championship
The 1907 Home Nations Championship was the twenty-fifth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 12 January and 16 March...
and was in all four matches of the 1908 tournament
1908 Home Nations Championship
The 1908 Home Nations Championship was the twenty-sixth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 18 January and 21 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales....
. Wales won all their matches and lifted their fifth Triple Crown, giving O'Neill his second trophy.
In 1908, O'Neill turned his back on the amateur rugby union game by switching to professional rugby league. He joined Warrington, playing his first game for the club on 17 October 1908. After just two months as a professional rugby player he was selected for the Wales national league team, in an encounter with England at Broughton. He played one more international match, again against England, at Wakefield in 1909.
International matches played
Wales (rugby union) 1905, 1907, 1908 1908 1904, 1905, 1907, 1908 1904, 1905, 1908Wales (rugby league) 1908, 1909