| Personal information | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | William Sayer | |||||
| Nickname | Bill, Sos | |||||
| Born | April→June 1934 Wigan, England |
|||||
| Died | 16 August 1989 (aged 55)? Wigan, England |
|||||
| Playing information | ||||||
| Position | Hooker | |||||
| Club | ||||||
| Years | Team | Pld | T | G | FG | P |
| ≤1954–1954 | Wigan Highfield | |||||
| 1954–1965 | Wigan | 221 | 10 | |||
| 1965–≥1970 | St. Helens | |||||
| Total | 221 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Representative | ||||||
| Years | Team | Pld | T | G | FG | P |
| ≤1965–≥1965 | Lancashire | |||||
| 1961–1963 | Great Britain | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Source: rugbyleagueproject.org englandrl.co.uk | ||||||
William "Bill" 'Sos' Sayer (born April→June 1934 in Wigan — died 16 August 1989 in Wigan) was an English former professional rugby league footballer of the 1960s and '70s who at representative level played for Great Britain, and at club level for Wigan Highfield, Wigan and St. Helens, playing at Hooker, i.e. number 9, during the era of contested scrums.
Contents |
Bill Sayer won 7-caps for Great Britain while at Wigan in 1961 against New Zealand, in 1962 against France, Australia (3 matches), and New Zealand, and in 1963 against Australia.[1]
One of the finest hookers in the game, Bill Sayer enjoyed two long careers, one with Wigan and one with St Helens. He joined Wigan from Wigan Highfield in 1954 after being invited to play in three trial games - He was signed after just two. As well as showing early promise at Rugby League, Sayer was a useful Boxer and Soccer player. During his time in the RAF, when he served as a cook, Sayer also played Rugby Union. he made his Wigan debut at Halifax on 4 December 1954 but had to wait until the latter part of 1956-7 for a regular place when he replaced Mather in the number nine shirt. For the next seven years, until changed by Colin Clarke, the shirt was virtually his own property. A member of the 1958 Challenge Cup Wining-team. Sayer returned to Wembley a year later and his confrontation with Hull's Tommy Harris was much awaited. Each set of fans hailed there hooker as the best in the business. Sayer proved the best on the day as he won possession two-to-one, just as he had done at Wembley 12 months earlier. He scored a try in the Championship win over Wakefield in 1960 but two more Wembley appearances resulted in loser medals. A Lancashire County player, he won the first of his seven Great Britain caps against New Zealand at Leeds in September 1961. The following year he went on the Australian tour.
In 1965 he started his second career with St Helens. He added to his club honours by collecting two Championship, two Lancashire Cup and a third Challenge Cup-winners medal. The latter was particularly sweet for Sayer as it was in the 1966 win over Wigan. His last honour, 12 years after his first, was in the 1970 Championship over Leeds.
|
|||||