Lionel Williamson
Encyclopedia
Lionel Williamson is an Australia
n former rugby league
footballer of the 1960s and 70s. A talented winger, he played in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership with the Newtown
club and also represented Queensland and Australia.
North Queenslander Williamson played a season with Halifax RLFC
in 1964-65, also playing in the Queensland side from 1964 to 1967. Gaining selection in Australia's 1968 World Cup
squad, he scored two tries in the Final against France. He moved to Sydney to play with Newtown from 1969 and played in the 1970 World Cup
, again scoring in the Final to help Australia to victory. Williamson continued representing Australia until 1974 which was also his final year playing for Newtown.
In 2008, the centenary year of rugby league in Australia, Williamson was named in the Newtown Jets 18-man team of the century.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n former rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
footballer of the 1960s and 70s. A talented winger, he played in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership with the Newtown
Newtown Jets
The Newtown Jets are an Australian rugby league football club based in Newtown, a suburb of Sydney's inner west. They currently compete in the NSWRL Premier League competition, having left the top grade after the 1983 NSWRFL season...
club and also represented Queensland and Australia.
North Queenslander Williamson played a season with Halifax RLFC
Halifax RLFC
Halifax RLFC is one of the most historic rugby league clubs in the game, formed over a century ago, in 1873 in the Yorkshire town of Halifax. Known as 'Fax', the official club colours are blue and white hoops, blue shorts and blue socks . They share The Shay stadium with football club FC Halifax Town...
in 1964-65, also playing in the Queensland side from 1964 to 1967. Gaining selection in Australia's 1968 World Cup
1968 Rugby League World Cup
- Final standings :-Final:The final had been billed a 'debacle' following Great Britain's inexplicable loss to France in Auckland, leaving them to contest the final despite being beaten by Australia seven tries to none two days prior....
squad, he scored two tries in the Final against France. He moved to Sydney to play with Newtown from 1969 and played in the 1970 World Cup
1970 Rugby League World Cup
The fifth Rugby League World Cup was held in Great Britain in 1970. Britain, fresh from defeating Australia in the Ashes, were hot favourites, and won all three of their group stage games. All the other nations lost two games each, and Australia qualified for the final largely on the back of an...
, again scoring in the Final to help Australia to victory. Williamson continued representing Australia until 1974 which was also his final year playing for Newtown.
In 2008, the centenary year of rugby league in Australia, Williamson was named in the Newtown Jets 18-man team of the century.