Name Bill Robinson | Role Rugby league | |
William "Bill" Robinson (8 August 1934 — 3 December 2005 (aged 71)) born in Wigan, was a professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s, and 1960s, playing at representative level for Great Britain, and at club level for Leigh, and Parramatta Eels, as a prop, i.e. number 8 or 10, during the era of contested scrums, he died in Wigan.
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International honours
Bill Robinson won caps for Great Britain while at Leigh in the 42-4 victory over France at Central Park, Wigan on Wednesday 3 April 1963, and the 12-50 defeat by Australia at Station Road, Swinton on Saturday 9 November 1963.
County Cup Final appearances
Bill Robinson played in Leigh's 26–9 victory over Widnes in the 1955 Lancashire County Cup Final during the 1955–56 season at Central Park, Wigan on Saturday 15 October 1955, and played left-prop, i.e. number 8, in Leigh's 4-15 defeat by St. Helens in the 1963 Lancashire County Cup Final during the 1963–64 season at Knowsley Road, St. Helens on Saturday 26 October 1963.
Career
At school, Bill Robinson played for Wigan and Greater Manchester schools' rugby. He first started playing for Leigh at Under-19s level in 1951, he signed a professional contract in 1953, making appearances for Leigh from 1953 to 1967, he became an international in 1963 against Australia and France, he was on TV playing against Australia, after the game he spoke to a famous Australian rugby league player called Johnny Raper, to ask some advice about identifying an agent to arrange for him to play for a team in Australia, which was published in the newspaper before he left the UK, arrived in Parramatta for one season in 1968. He did a lot for the Leigh and even later when he was chairman for Leigh past players' association, going to different meetings to support rugby league, he was inducted into the Leigh Hall of Fame, also with his brother, the sports journalist John Robinson writing about the sport in local and national newspapers, including covering the Australaian rugby league tour, they were both awarded over 50-years service in rugby league, including my granddad that played for Wigan Highfield, and Leyland in the 1930s.