Key Facts

• Billy Boston is a former rugby league player who played for Wigan and Great Britain.
• He will receive a knighthood, the first ever for a rugby league player.
• The ceremony will take place at Buckingham Palace before the King's birthday honours are officially announced, due to concerns about Boston's health.
• Boston, aged 90, has been living with dementia.
• He was renowned for his achievements, winning three Challenge Cups and scoring 24 tries in 31 appearances for Great Britain.
• Boston scored 478 tries in 487 matches during his career.
• There has been ongoing frustration about the lack of knighthoods for rugby league players, attributed to snobbery and class prejudice.
• The event marks a significant recognition for the sport, which has historically been underrepresented in Britain's honours system.