William Benyon (born 7 March 1945) is an English former professional

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 who played in the 1960s and 1970s, and

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

ed in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. He played at representative level for

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England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

and

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancash ...

, and at club level for St Helens,

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Cronulla, in the Sutherland Shire, Southern Sydney, New South Wales. They compete in the National Rugby League (NRL), Australasia's premier rugby leag ...

and

Warrington Warrington () is a town and unparished area in the borough of the same name in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, on the banks of the River Mersey. It is east of Liverpool, and west of Manchester. The population in 2019 was estimat ...

, as a or , and coached at club level for St Helens and

Leigh Leigh may refer to: Places In England Pronounced : * Leigh, Greater Manchester, Borough of Wigan ** Leigh (UK Parliament constituency) * Leigh-on-Sea, Essex Pronounced : * Leigh, Dorset * Leigh, Gloucestershire * Leigh, Kent * Leigh, Staf ...

Background

Billy Benyon was born in St. Helens,

, England.

Playing career

International honours

Billy Benyon won

cap A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. Caps typically have a visor, or no brim at all. They are popular in casual and informal se ...

s for

while at St Helens in 1968 against Wales, in 1970 against Wales, and won

s for

while at St Helens in 1971 against France (2 matches), New Zealand, and New Zealand ( interchange/ substitute), and in 1972 against France (2 matches).

World Club Challenge appearances

Billy Benyon played in St. Helens' 2–25 defeat by the 1975 NSWRFL season premiers,

Eastern Suburbs Roosters The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional Rugby League Football Club based in the Eastern Suburbs (Sydney) and parts of inner Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) competition. The Roosters have won fifteen ...

in the unofficial 1976 World Club Challenge at Sydney Cricket Ground on Tuesday 29 June 1976.

Championship final appearances

Billy Benyon played left- in St. Helens' 35–12 victory over Halifax in the

Championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this system ...

Final during the 1965–66 season at Station Road, Swinton on Saturday 28 May 1966, in front of a crowd of 30,165.

Challenge Cup Final appearances

Billy Benyon played left- in St. Helens' 21–2 victory over

Wigan Wigan ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, on the River Douglas, Lancashire, River Douglas. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. Bolton lies to the nor ...

in the

1966 Challenge Cup Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo is ...

Final during the 1965–66 season at

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on Saturday 21 May 1966, in front of a crowd of 98,536, played right- in the 16–13 victory over

Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...

in the

1972 Challenge Cup Year 197 ( CXCVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Magius and Rufinus (or, less frequently, year 950 '' Ab urbe con ...

Final during the 1971–72 season at

on Saturday 13 May 1972, and played in the 20–5 victory over

Widnes Widnes ( ) is an Industrial city, industrial town in the Borough of Halton, Cheshire, England, which at the 2011 United Kingdom census, 2011 census had a population of 61,464. Historic counties of England, Historically in Lancashire, it is on t ...

in the 1976 Challenge Cup Final during the 1975–76 season at

on Saturday 8 May 1976.

County Cup Final appearances

Billy Benyon played in St. Helens' 7–4 victory over Swinton in the

1962 Lancashire Cup Year 196 ( CXCVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Dexter and Messalla (or, less frequently, year 949 '' Ab urbe condit ...

Final during the 1962–63 season at

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on Saturday 27 October 1962, played left- and scored a

try Try or TRY may refer to: Music Albums * ''Try!'', an album by the John Mayer Trio * ''Try'' (Bebo Norman album) (2014) Songs * "Try" (Blue Rodeo song) (1987) * "Try" (Colbie Caillat song) (2014) * "Try" (Nelly Furtado song) (2004) * " Try (Ju ...

in the 12–4 victory over Swinton in the

1964 Lancashire Cup Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarc ...

Final during the 1964–65 season at

on Saturday 24 October 1964, played left- in the 2–2 draw with

in the 1967 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1967–68 season at

on Saturday 7 October 1967, played right- in the 13–10 victory over

in the 1967 Lancashire Cup Final replay during the 1967–68 season at Station Road, Swinton on Saturday 2 December 1967, played right- in the 30–2 victory over

Oldham Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, amid the Pennines and between the rivers Irk and Medlock, southeast of Rochdale and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, wh ...

in the 1968 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1968–69 season at

on Friday 25 October 1968, and played right- in the 4–7 defeat by

in the 1970 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1970–71 season at Station Road, Swinton on Saturday 28 November 1970.

BBC2 Floodlit Trophy Final appearances

Billy Benyon played left- in St. Helens' 0–4 defeat by

Castleford Castleford is a town within the City of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. It had a population of 45,106 at a 2021 population estimate. Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, to the north of the town centre the River Calder joins th ...

in the

1965 BBC2 Floodlit Trophy Events January–February * January 14 – The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years. * January 20 ** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lyndo ...

Final during the 1965–66 season at

Knowsley Road Knowsley Road in Eccleston, St Helens, Merseyside, was the home ground of St. Helens from 1890 until its closure in 2010. St Helens Town FC played their home fixtures at Knowsley Road from 2002 until 2010. For a period, the venue also hoste ...

, St. Helens on Tuesday 14 December 1965, played right- in the 4–7 defeat by

in the

1968 BBC2 Floodlit Trophy The year was highlighted by Protests of 1968, protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – "Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechos ...

Final during the 1968-69 season at

on Tuesday 17 December 1968. played right- in the 5–9 defeat by

in the 1970 BBC2 Floodlit Trophy Final during the 1970–71 season at

Headingley Headingley is a suburb of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, approximately two miles out of the city centre, to the north west along the A660 road. Headingley is the location of the Beckett Park campus of Leeds Beckett University and Headingley ...

on Tuesday 15 December 1970, played right- in the 8–2 victory over

Rochdale Hornets The Rochdale Hornets are a professional rugby league club from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England, competing in the Championship, the second tier of European rugby league. The Rochdale Hornets are one of the original twenty-two rugby clubs ...

in the 1971 BBC2 Floodlit Trophy Final during the 1971–72 season at

on Tuesday 14 December 1971, and played right- and scored a

in the 22–2 victory over

Dewsbury Dewsbury is a minster and market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Calder and on an arm of the Calder and Hebble Navigation waterway. It is to the west of Wakefield, east of Hudder ...

in the 1975 BBC2 Floodlit Trophy Final during the 1975–76 season at

, St. Helens on Tuesday 16 December 1975.

Player's No.6/John Player Trophy Final appearances

Billy Benyon played right- in

's 9–4 victory over

in the 1977–78 Players No.6 Trophy Final during the 1977–78 season at

, St. Helens on Saturday 28 January 1978, and played left- in the 4–16 defeat by

in the 1978–79 John Player Trophy Final during the 1978–79 season at

, St. Helens on Saturday 28 April 1979.

Notable tour matches

Billy Benyon played right centre ie number three in St Helens 11-7 victory over Australia national rugby league team at Knowsley Road on 13 November 1973. Billy had a superb game in an under strength Saints side who beat a team contains Australian legends Bobby Fulton and Artie Beetson amongst others. Billy Benyon played left- in

's 15–12 victory over

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

Wilderspool Stadium Wilderspool Stadium was a rugby league stadium in Warrington, England. The ground was Warrington RLFC's old ground before moving to the Halliwell Jones Stadium. History In 1898, Warrington RLFC moved to the Wilderspool Stadium. A 10-year lea ...

on Wednesday 11 October 1978.

Coaching career

County Cup Final appearances

Billy Benyon was the

's 26–10 victory over

in the 1980 Lancashire Cup Final replay during the 1980–81 season at

, St. Helens on Saturday 4 October 1980, in St. Helens' 0–16 defeat by

in the 1982 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1982–83 season at

on Saturday 23 October 1982, and in the 26–18 victory over

in the 1984 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1984–85 season at

on Sunday 28 October 1984.

Honoured at St Helens R.F.C.

Billy Benyon is a St Helens R.F.C. Hall of Fame inductee.

References

External links

Profile at saints.org.uk
*(archived by web.archive.org
Statistics at wolvesplayers.thisiswarrington.co.uk
{{DEFAULTSORT:Benyon, Billy 1945 births Living people Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks players England national rugby league team players English rugby league coaches English rugby league players Great Britain national rugby league team players Lancashire rugby league team players Leigh Leopards coaches Rugby league centres Rugby league five-eighths Rugby league players from St Helens, Merseyside St Helens R.F.C. coaches St Helens R.F.C. players Warrington Wolves players