Basil Watts facts for kids
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Personal information
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| Born | 15 June 1926 York, England |
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| Died | 31 December 2019 (aged 93) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Playing information
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| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 14 st 3 lb (90 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Second-row | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Basil J. Watts (born June 15, 1926 – died December 31, 2019) was a famous English rugby league player. People often called him "Baz." He played professionally in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. Basil was part of the team that won the Rugby League World Cup. He played for both the Great Britain and England national teams. At the club level, he played for York. His position was a second-row forward.
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Who Was Basil Watts?
Basil Watts was born in York, England, on June 15, 1926. He went to Poppleton School in his hometown. In 1944, he joined the army. After leaving the army in 1948, he started playing rugby league. He joined the York club in 1949.
After he stopped playing rugby in 1961, Basil worked in different jobs. He was a publican, which means he managed a pub. Later, he worked at the Imphal Barracks in York.
Basil's Rugby Career
Basil Watts was a "one-club man." This means he played for only one team his entire career. He played all his games for the York club. His first game was on October 8, 1949. His last game was on May 6, 1961. In total, he played 354 games for York and scored 65 tries.
Playing in a Big Final
Basil played in one major final during his career. This was the 1957–58 Yorkshire Cup Final. He played as a left second-row forward for York. However, his team lost to Huddersfield with a score of 8–15. The game took place at Headingley Rugby Stadium in Leeds on October 19, 1957.
Playing for His Country
Basil Watts also played for his country. He earned a "cap" for England in November 1953. A "cap" is like an award for playing in an international match. His game was against a team called "Other Nationalities."
The next year, he was chosen for the Great Britain squad. This was for the 1954 Rugby League World Cup. He played in all four of Great Britain's matches in that World Cup. This included the final game on November 13, 1954. Great Britain won the World Cup by beating France 16–12 in Paris.
Basil earned his fifth and final cap for Great Britain on November 12, 1955. This game was against New Zealand. He scored his only international try in that match. Great Britain won the game 27–12.
York Rugby League Hall of Fame
In March 2013, Basil Watts was honored by his club. He was one of the first seven players to be put into the York Rugby League Hall of Fame. This special group also included other great players like Geoff Pryce, Gary Smith, Vic Yorke, Norman Fender, Willie Hargreaves, and Edgar Dawson.
