Billy Wilson (New Zealand rugby league)

His mother Tabitha was born in Batley, Yorkshire, England while his father Joseph was from the West Indies.

[5] Billy had three brothers, Joseph Simman, Nathaniel Arthur, and Charles Leslie, and two sisters, Elizabeth Maria May (Betty), and Ada.

[7] Billy Wilson began his senior oval ball career playing for the Athletic rugby club in Wellington.

[8] He was only to play 4 games for them in total because of an extremely controversial and well publicised incident in 6 August match between Athletic and Poneke.

It was alleged that his brother Ranji Wilson had struck Petone player Duilio Calcinai and broken his jaw.

The case went to court 3 months later in November and received extensive front page newspaper coverage.

Numerous witnesses were called to Ranji Wilson's trial with conflicting descriptions of what had happened and who had struck the blow.

[6] Billy said that he knew who struck the blow and when the Wellington Rugby Football Union asked him who it was he refused to answer.

[9] Prior to the court case Wilson was selected to play for Wellington B in their match with Marlborough.

In 1922 when he applied for reinstatement at the end of his career he said to the Wellington Rugby Union that he had just wanted to play football.

The Wellington rugby league competition was newly formed in 1912 with the Athletic club's birth in May that year.

1913 was a busy season for Wilson as he played 13 matches for Athletic in the second row and loose forward position.

It was a slightly weaker Auckland side which even included their manager due to injuries they had sustained in their match with Taranaki days prior.

[13] In 1914 he played 8 matches for Athletic though they had begun to struggle to field a side by the end of the season along with other club teams due to so many players leaving to join the fight in World War I. Wilson had scored 8 tries in those matches where he was now being used more regularly in the backs.

His first try came after Jim Parker intercepted a pass and transferred the ball to Karl Ifwersen who sent it on to Wilson who "with a great sprint" scored.

Then just before the final whistle Wilson "snapped up the ball and put a fitting climax to a great game by scoring".

[18] For his first try he received the ball near halfway and "ran across the field at top speed, evading all attempts to stop him coming to the touch line, he retraced his steps infield fending off his tacklers in great style.

Near the 25 Harris chased him, but Wilson had too good a start, and continuing he grounded the ball in a favourable position to goal.

"[19] In his final match of the tour he was part of the New Zealand side which easily won 42-12 over Toowoomba where he scored another try.

He took a pass after the ball crossed right across the field and he scored near the posts with Karl Ifwersen converting to give New Zealand a 10-0 lead.

Unfortunately he sustained a bad leg injury and had to leave the field which meant New Zealand had to play with just 12 men for the remainder of the match.

Both listed their mother as living at 70 Hopper Street in Wellington at the time with Billy's marital status said to be "single".

[27] Wilson then played in the Wellington team again against a Maori side and won a hard match 3-0.

[31] Wilson was part of the squad for the Somme Cup match against a French side played in front of tens of thousands however he was a reserve and did not take the field.

[32] Wilson was slightly wounded while fighting in France on 7 June 1917 but rejoined his Wellington Infantry Regiment 3 days later.

[33] In a letter headed "France" and dated 8 August 1918 from a Wellington rugby player had details of it concerning the Wilson brothers was published in the Free Lance newspaper on 10 October that year.

He stated that ""Billy Wilson" always turns up like the old cat with the brick around its neck for the First Wellington Battalion, which has never had to acknowledge defeat until our little unit met them the other day.

Wilson is always dangerous, and his meteoric sprints cause the First Wellingtonians to frisk and cavort with delight and yell for their fancy".