Billy Boston becomes first ever rugby league knight

The letter announcing the knighthood was given to Sir Billy by Labour MP Josh Simons, who said the rugby league was finally "getting the recognition it deserves".

The sport's governing body, the Rugby Football League, had told the BBC last month that its players had been "poorly treated" by the honours system.

The Speaker of the House of Commons , Sir Lindsay Hoyle, joined protests over the lack of knighthoods for rugby players, saying it "cannot be right" when other . . .