Arabic version: ويغان تودّع أسطورة دوري الرغبي السير بيلي بوسطن

According to BBC News, friends, family and rugby league players past and present gathered in Wigan for the funeral of Sir Billy Boston, the Wigan Warriors legend who died last month aged 92.

The service was held at Wigan Warriors’ Brick Community Stadium, attended by members of the club’s current squad. Before it began, a cortege travelled through the Greater Manchester town on its way to the stadium, where a private burial ceremony was set to follow.

At the Boston family’s request, mourners were encouraged to wear traditional funeral clothing, while Wigan Warriors’ cherry red and white scarves, ties and headwear were also permitted. Floral tributes and hand-written notes were left in Believe Square, beside the bronze statue of Boston.

Wigan chief executive Kris Radlinski paid tribute to Boston’s life, from his childhood in Cardiff to his knighthood. He said Wigan Council had told him that Believe Square, next to Wigan Town Hall, would be renamed Sir Billy Boston Square.

Born in Cardiff in 1934, Boston joined Wigan in 1953 after rugby league scouts noticed him during national service in northern England. He scored 478 tries in 488 games for Wigan and 571 tries across his career, a top-class rugby league total surpassed only by Australia’s Brian Bevan. Boston was also the first black British player to tour Australia and New Zealand with Great Britain.