Bill Hudson (rugby league)

William Hudson
Born	circa 1918
Died	1989
Nationality	English
Occupation(s)	Rugby league player, coach, publican
Years active	1935–1952 (player), 1956–1957 (coach)
Known for	Rugby league playing for Batley, Wigan, Wakefield Trinity; coaching Featherstone Rovers

William Hudson (circa 1918 – 1989) was a distinguished English rugby league player and coach who made his mark during the 1940s and 1950s. He competed at the representative level for Great Britain, England, and Yorkshire. At the club level, Hudson played for Batley, Wigan, and Wakefield Trinity, where he also held the position of captain. His primary roles on the field were as a or . Later in his career, he took on coaching responsibilities with Featherstone Rovers during the 1950s.

Club career

Hudson launched his professional journey with Batley in August 1935, accumulating more than 200 appearances. In October 1947, he moved to Wigan for a then-record transfer fee of £2,000. He made his first appearance for Wigan on 8 November 1947 in a 14–3 triumph over the Rochdale Hornets at Central Park, and scored his inaugural try for the club during a 34–13 win against Castleford on 21 February 1948.

Hudson featured as a in Wigan’s narrow 8–3 victory over Bradford Northern in the 1947–48 Challenge Cup Final held at Wembley on 1 May 1948, witnessed by an audience of 91,465. Additionally, he played as a in Wigan’s 14–8 success against Warrington during the 1948–49 Lancashire Cup Final at Station Road, Swinton on 13 November 1948.

In the course of the 1949–50 season, Hudson appeared as a in Wigan’s 20–7 victory over Leigh in the 1949–50 Lancashire Cup Final at Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington on 29 October 1949. He registered his final try for Wigan in a commanding 33–2 win over Widnes on 19 April 1950. His last match for Wigan contributed to securing the Championship, with a decisive 20–2 win against Huddersfield at Maine Road, Manchester on 13 May 1950.

In August 1950, Hudson transferred to Wakefield Trinity for £1,000 and was subsequently appointed team captain. He played as a in Wakefield Trinity’s convincing 17–3 victory over Keighley during the 1951–52 Yorkshire Cup Final held at the Fartown Ground, Huddersfield on 27 October 1951. He concluded his playing career in August 1952.

Representative honours

During the 1946–47 season, Bill Hudson was chosen to represent the Yorkshire County XIII while playing for Batley. He again earned selection for Yorkshire during the 1950–51 season when with Wakefield Trinity.

Hudson received international caps for England while at Batley in matches against Wales and France in 1946, against France again in 1947, and later representing England at Wigan in a fixture versus France in 1949. Furthermore, he was capped for Great Britain while playing for Wigan in a contest against Australia in 1949.

Notably, Hudson occupied the second-row position during Great Britain’s commanding 23–9 win over Australia in the third Ashes Test at Odsal Stadium, Bradford on 29 January 1949, stepping in for Huddersfield’s injured Bob Nicholson.

Coaching career

Bill Hudson assumed the role of coach at Featherstone Rovers in 1956. His tenure concluded in March 1957 shortly after he became proprietor of a public house located in Scunthorpe.

External links

• Summary of the 1948 Ashes Series at rugbyleagueproject.org