Robert Williams (1886–1969) was a pioneer Australian

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...

footballer for the

Eastern Suburbs Eastern Suburbs may refer to: Places *Eastern Suburbs (Mumbai), India *Eastern Suburbs (Sydney), Australia **Eastern Suburbs railway line, Sydney, Australia Sports clubs ;Association football *Eastern Suburbs AFC, Auckland, New Zealand * Eastern ...

club.

Playing career

Williams, a dock worker from Woolloomooloo, had a distinguished career with the Eastern Suburbs club. He was a long serving member who was one of the first to play in 100 matches for the club. The

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

convert played in 118 matches for the Tri-colours in ten seasons over the years 1910–18 and 1920. Williams, or 'Botsy' as he was better known, won premierships with

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and

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, taking out rugby league's first permanent trophy - the RAS shield. He was also a member of

City Cup The City Cup was a rugby league competition involving Australian premiership teams. The post season tournament was a regular feature in the years 1912–1925. City Cups were also played in 1937, 1942 and 1959. The inaugural city cup was contested ...

winning sides in 1914, 1915 & 1916.

Representative career

A lightweight but rugged front-row forward went away on the second Kangaroo tour representing his country in two Tests and appearing in seventeen other tour matches. He is listed on the ''Australian Players Register'' as Kangaroo No. 85. Williams was a member of the first

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side to tour New Zealand in 1912.

Coaching career

He coached the Brisbane University Rugby league team between 1924 and 1926. He was also a coach of Brisbane's West End RLFC in the 1932–1934. Williams returned to Sydney, coaching

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in 1935, 1936 and 1937, North Sydney in 1938 & 1939 and

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in the 1939 interstate series. The Sydney Roosters player register lists him as number 45. Bob Williams died in 1969 aged 82.

References

* 1886 births 1969 deaths Australasia rugby league team players Australia national rugby league team players Australian rugby league coaches Australian rugby league players Australian rugby union players New South Wales rugby league team players North Sydney Bears coaches Rugby league forwards Rugby league players from Sydney Sydney Roosters players {{Australia-rugbyleague-bio-1880s-stub