Billy Lynch (rugby league)
# Billy Lynch (rugby league)

William J. Lynch (birth unknown – death unknown), also listed as Billie Lynch, was a professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1900s and 1910s. He played at representative level for England and Yorkshire, and at club level for Wakefield Trinity (Heritage № 171), as a wing, or centre, i.e. number 2 or 5, or, 3 or 4.

## Playing career

### International honours

Billy Lynch won a cap for England while at Wakefield Trinity in 1910 against Wales.

### County honours

Billy Lynch won cap(s) for Yorkshire while at Wakefield Trinity.

### Challenge Cup Final appearances

Billy Lynch played right-centre, i.e. number 3, in Wakefield Trinity's 17-0 victory over Hull F.C. in the 1909 Challenge Cup Final during the 1908–09 season at Headingley Rugby Stadium, Leeds on Tuesday 20 April 1909, in front of a crowd of 23,587. and played right-centre in the 0-6 defeat by Hull F.C. in the 1914 Challenge Cup Final during the 1913–14 season at Thrum Hall, Halifax, in front of a crowd of 19,000.

### County Cup Final appearances

Billy Lynch played right-centre, i.e. number 3, in Wakefield Trinity's 8-2 victory over Huddersfield in the 1910 Yorkshire County Cup Final during the 1910–11 season at Headingley Rugby Stadium, Leeds on Saturday 3 December 1910.

### Notable tour matches

Billy Lynch played right-centre, i.e. number 3, and scored the try in Wakefield Trinity's 5-5 draw with New Zealand in the tour match at Belle Vue, Wakefield on Wednesday 23 October 1907, and played centre in the 20-13 victory over Australia in the 1908–09 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain match at Belle Vue, Wakefield on Saturday 19 December 1908.

### Club career

Billy Lynch made his début for Wakefield Trinity during September 1907, he appears to have scored no drop-goals (or field-goals as they are currently known in Australasia), but prior to the 1974–75 season all goals, whether; conversions, penalties, or drop-goals, scored 2-points, consequently prior to this date drop-goals were often not explicitly documented, therefore '0' drop-goals may indicate drop-goals not recorded, rather than no drop-goals scored. In addition, prior to the 1949–50 season, the archaic field-goal was also still a valid means of scoring points.

## Testimonial match

Billy Lynch's Testimonial match at Wakefield Trinity was joint testimonial for; Arthur Burton, Arthur Kenealy "Nealy" Crosland, William "Billy" Lynch, and Thomas "Tommy" Poynton, and took place against Yorkshire at Belle Vue, Wakefield on Wednesday 27 April 1922.

## Outside of rugby league

Billy Lynch was the landlord of the Windmill Inn, Doncaster Road, Foulby, and on 22 March 1916 he arranged a rugby league match for the benefit of Leonard Hewitt (birth registered fourth ¼ 1883 in Hemsworth district - death registered first ¼ 1917 (aged 33) in Hemsworth district) who had been incapacitated while in training with His Majesty's forces. The teams were captained by Billy Batten, and Billy Lynch.

| W. Batten's Team | W. Lynch's Team |
| - | - |
| Selected from | Selected from |
| Fullbacks | Fullbacks |
| Leonard Land (Wakefield Trinity) | G. Haycox (Leeds) |
| | xCharles Smith, Jr. (Wakefield Trinity) |
| three-quarter backs | three-quarter backs |
| Albert Rosenfeld (Huddersfield & New Zealand (sic)) | Edgar Wooley (Wakefield Trinity) |
| Harold Wagstaff (Huddersfield & England captain) | Billy Lynch (Wakefield Trinity) |
| Billy Batten (Hull F.C. & England captain) | Tommy Poynton (Wakefield Trinity) |
| Buff Lord (Hull Kingston Rovers) | L. Farrar (Dewsbury) |
| Jim Devereux (Hull F.C. & Australia) | Joe Lyman (Dewsbury) |
| | F. Cockerham (Dewsbury) |
| Half backs | Half backs |
| Walter Hammond (Wakefield Trinity) | Jonty Parkin (Wakefield Trinity) |
| E. Chapman (Bramley) | L. Turton (Bramley) |
| Sid Dean(e)(sic) (Hull F.C. & Australia) | Thomas Newbould (Wakefield Trinity & England) |
| Forwards | Forwards |
| John Higson (Huddersfield & England) | Fred Webster (Leeds) |
| Jack Chilcott (Huddersfield & Wales) | Fred Carter (Leeds) |
| Herbert Banks (Huddersfield & Yorkshire) | H. Unsworth (Dewsbury) |
| E. Parker (Dewsbury) | Herbert Kershaw (Wakefield Trinity & England) |
| P. Quinn (Hunslet) | Arthur Burton (Wakefield Trinity & Yorkshire) |
| Bill Jukes (Hunslet & England captain) | William "Billy" Sherwood (Halifax) |
| E. Bloomer (York) | ?. Goodwood (Leeds) |
