Quick Facts
Biography
William "Billy" Watkins is a Welsh rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1930s, playing club level rugby union (RU) for Cross Keys RFC, and playing representative level rugby league (RL) for Great Britain and Wales, and at club level for Salford, as a Scrum-half/Halfback, i.e. number 7.
Playing career
International honours
Billy Watkins won caps for Wales (RL) while at Salford in 1932–1936 6-caps, and won caps for Great Britain (RL) while at Salford in 1933 against Australia, in 1936 against Australia (2 matches), New Zealand (2 matches), and in 1937 against Australia (2 matches).
Les Diables Rouges
Billy Watkins was one of the players who successfully toured in France with Salford in 1934, during which the Salford team earned the name "Les Diables Rouges", the seventeen players were; Joe Bradbury, Bob Brown, Aubrey Casewell, Paddy Dalton, Bert Day, Cliff Evans, Jack Feetham, George Harris, Barney Hudson, Emlyn Jenkins, Alf Middleton, Sammy Miller, Harold Osbaldestin, Les Pearson, Gus Risman, Billy Watkins and Billy Williams.
Championship final appearances
Billy Watkins played Scrum-half in Salford's 3-15 defeat by Wigan in the Championship final during the 1933–34 season at Wilderspool, Warrington on Saturday 28 April 1934.
County Cup final appearances
About Billy Watkins' time, there was Salford's 2-15 defeat by Warrington in the 1929 Lancashire Cup final during the 1929–30 season at Central Park, Wigan on Saturday 23 November 1929, the 10-8 victory over Swinton in the 1931 Lancashire Cup final during the 1931–32 season at the Cliff, Broughton, Salford on Saturday 21 November 1931, the 21-12 victory over Wigan in the 1934 Lancashire Cup final during the 1934–35 season at Station Road, Swinton on Saturday 20 October 1934, the 15-7 victory over Wigan in the 1935 Lancashire Cup final during the 1935–36 season at Wilderspool, Warrington on Saturday 19 October 1935, the 5-2 victory over Wigan in the 1936 Lancashire Cup final during the 1936–37 season at Wilderspool, Warrington on Saturday 17 October 1936, and he played Scrum-half/Halfback in the 7-10 defeat by Wigan in the 1938 Lancashire Cup final during the 1938–39 season at Station Road, Swinton on Saturday 22 October 1938.
Family
Billy Watkins is the father of; Huw Watkins, Gareth Watkins and Haydn Watkins, and the grandfather of the cricketer, Ryan Watkins.