Billy Rackard (14 April 1930 – 23 March 2009) was an Irish hurler and Gaelic footballer who played as a centre-back for the Wexford senior teams.
[1][2] Regarded as one of Wexford's greatest players of all-time, Rackard made his first appearance for the team during the 1949–50 National League and was a regular member of the starting fifteen until his retirement before the 1964 championship.
Rackard first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the Wexford minor hurling team in the late 1940s.
He enjoyed little success in this grade but was called up to the senior team in 1949 and made his debut in a National League game.
After losing the provincial final in 1950, Rackard was at wing-back the following year as Wexford faced Laois in the eastern decider.
A Tim Flood goal nine minutes from the end clinched a 3–13 to 2–8 victory and a first All-Ireland medal for Rackard.
The game has gone down in history as one of the all-time classics as Christy Ring was bidding for a record ninth All-Ireland medal.
The game turned on one important incident as the Wexford goalkeeper, Art Foley, made a miraculous save from a Ring shot and cleared the sliotar up the field to set up another attack.
A pitch invasion at the end resulted in much confusion, however, goals by Mick Hassett and Oliver McGrath gave Wexford a merited 2–15 to 0–11 victory.
Wexford got off to a disastrous start when Tom Moloughney and Seán McLoughlin scored goals for Tipp inside the first minute.
Wexford faced early championship exits over the next two years and Rackard called time on his inter-county career in 1964.
Two years later Rackard added a fourth and final Railway Cup medal to his collection as Munster were bested once again in the decider.