Billy Rayner (22 May 1935 – 18 July 2006) was an Australian rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s and 1960s.
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | William Frederick Rayner | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Yass, New South Wales, Australia | 22 May 1935||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Died | 18 July 2006 | (aged 71)||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position | Hooker | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: [1] |
Career
editOriginally from Yass, New South Wales, Billy Rayner went on to play 195 games for Parramatta during a long 11-year career between 1956 and 1966. Rayner's playing career with Parramatta was during a very difficult period in the club's history where they struggled on the field for many years due to having limited resources and a weak playing roster. Rayner collected 6 wooden spoons in his career at Parramatta.[2] He went through a period of 161 successive first grade games without scoring a try, an Australian rugby league record.[3]
He also represented both New South Wales and Australia on two occasions each in 1960. He is listed on the Australian Players Register as Kangaroo No. 360.[4] His usual position was as at hooker.[5] He later went on to be a director of the Parramatta Eels's club.[6] In 1967, Rayner was made a life member of the Parramatta club.[7]
In 1995 Rayner was awarded life membership of the New South Wales Rugby League. In 2004, Rayner was inducted into the Parramatta clubs Hall of Fame.[8] He died after a short illness in July 2006, aged 71.[9]
References
edit- ^ Rugby League Project
- ^ Seven clubs in mix for NRL wooden spoon and the most unwanted tag in rugby league
- ^ "Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
- ^ ARL Annual Report 2005
- ^ Whiticker, Alan; Hudson, Glen (2007). The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players (5th ed.). Sydney, Australia: Gary Allen. pp. 454–5. ISBN 978-1-877082-93-1.
- ^ "Home". Rugby League Project.
- ^ "Parramatta National Rugby League Life Members". Parramatta Eels.
- ^ "Parramatta National Rugby League Hall of Fame". Parramatta Eels.
- ^ Sydney Morning Herald- Death Notice 21 July 2006