William Banks (rugby league) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

William "Billy" Banks is a Welsh

Welsh people

The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...

former rugby union

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...

and professional Rugby League World Cup

Rugby League World Cup

The Rugby League World Cup is an international rugby league competition contested by members of the Rugby League International Federation . It has been held nearly once every 4 years on average since its inaugural tournament in France in 1954...

winning footballer of the 1940s and '50s who at club level has played rugby union (RU) for Maesteg RFC

Maesteg RFC

Maesteg Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team from the town of Maesteg, South Wales. The club presently play in the Welsh Rugby Union Division One West and is a feeder club for the Ospreys.-Club history:...

, playing at Scrum-half, i.e. number 9, and at representative level has played rugby league (RL) for Great Britain

Great Britain national rugby league team

The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....

, and Wales

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...

, and at club level for Leeds

Leeds Rhinos

Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...

, Wakefield Trinity

Wakefield Trinity Wildcats

Wakefield Trinity Wildcats are a professional rugby league club that plays in the European Super League and is based in Wakefield. They achieved promotion in 1999 and have remained in the League since. They are known to their fans as Wakey, Trinity, Wildcats, or historically The Dreadnoughts...

, Huddersfield

Huddersfield Giants

Huddersfield Giants are a professional rugby league club from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire who play in the European Super League competition. They play their home games at the Galpharm Stadium which is shared with Huddersfield Town F.C....

, Whitehaven

Whitehaven RLFC

Whitehaven RLFC is a rugby league club playing in Whitehaven in West Cumbria. They play in Co-operative Championship. Their stadium is called the Recreation Ground...

, and Salford

Salford City Reds

Salford City Reds are an English rugby league club based in Salford, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1873, they currently play in the Super League. They have won six Rugby Football League Championships and one Challenge Cup...

, playing at /, i.e. number 7.

International honours

Billy Banks won caps for Wales

Wales national rugby league team

(RL) while at Huddersfield 1949…1953 17-caps, and represented Great Britain

Great Britain national rugby league team

(RL) while at Huddersfield in 1953 against France, and in 1954 against France (2 non-Test

Test match (rugby league)

A Test match in rugby league football is a representative match between teams representing members of the Rugby League International Federation.The definition of a Test match differs from that of an international match...

matches).

Billy Banks was selected for Great Britain

Great Britain national rugby league team

Squad while at Huddersfield

Huddersfield Giants

for the 1954 Rugby League World Cup

1954 Rugby League World Cup

The first Rugby League World Cup was held in France in 1954 and officially known as the "Rugby World Cup". The prime motivators behind the idea of holding a rugby league world cup were the French, who were short of money following the seizing of their assets by the rugby union in World War II.The...

in France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

. However, Billy Banks did not participate in any of the four matches, with Gerry Helme

Gerry Helme

Gerry J. Helme was an English professional Rugby League World Cup winning footballer of the 1940s and '50s. He played club football for Warrington and also represented Great Britain, Lancashire, and Rugby League XIII as a /....

playing as Scrum-half/Halfback in all four matches.

Along with Edward "Ted" Cahill

Edward Cahill (rugby league)

Edward "Ted" Cahill is an English former professional rugby league footballer of the 1950s who at representative level played for Great Britain, and England, and at club level for the Rochdale Hornets, playing at , i.e...

, Gordon Haynes

Gordon Haynes

Gordon Haynes is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1950s who at representative level has played for Great Britain, and at club level for Swinton, playing at /, i.e...

, Keith Holliday

Keith Holliday

Keith Holliday is an English former professional rugby league footballer of the 1950s and '60s who at representative level has played for Great Britain, and Yorkshire, and at club level for Wakefield Trinity, and Bramley, playing at , /, or /, i.e...

, William "Billy" Ivison, Robert "Bob" Kelly

Robert Kelly (rugby league)

Robert "Bob" Kelly is an Irish former professional rugby league footballer of the 1950s who at representative level has played for Great Britain, and Other Nations, and at club level for Keighley, Wakefield Trinity, and Batley, playing at , or , i.e...

, John McKeown

John McKeown (rugby league)

John J. McKeown was an English professional rugby league footballer of the 1940s, '50s and '60s who at representative level played for Great Britain and Cumberland, and at club level for Whitehaven, playing at , i.e...

, George Parsons

George Parsons (rugby)

George W. Parsons was a Welsh dual-code international rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1940s and '50s who at representative level played rugby union for Wales, and at club level for Abertillery RFC, Cardiff RFC, Newport RFC , and Newbridge RFC, playing at Lock, i.e...

, and Edward "Ted" Slevin

Ted Slevin

Edward "Ted" Slevin was an English professional rugby league footballer of the 1940s, 1950s and '60s who at representative level played for Great Britain, and England, and at club level for Wigan, and Huddersfield, playing at , or , i.e...

, Billy Banks' only Great Britain

Great Britain national rugby league team

appearances came against France

France national rugby league team

The France national rugby league team represent France in international rugby league tournaments. They are also sometimes referred to as "Les Tricolores" or more commonly "Les Chanticleers"...

prior to 1957, these matches were not considered as Test matches

Test match (rugby league)

by the Rugby Football League

Rugby Football League

The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...

, and consequently caps

Cap (sport)

In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...

were not awarded.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.