# Billy Bowen

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{{short description|Wales international rugby union & league footballer}}
{{other people||William Bowen (disambiguation){{!}}William Bowen}}
{{for|the rugby union footballer who played in the 1880s and 1890s for Wales, and Swansea|William Bowen (rugby union)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2016}}
{{Infobox rugby biography
| name = Billy Bowen
| image =
| caption =
| birth_name = William E Bowen
| birth_place = [Swansea](/source/Swansea), Wales
| birth_date = 6 December 1897
| death_place = [Morriston](/source/Morriston), Wales
| death_date = 19 December 1960 (aged 63)
| height = 
| weight = 
| ru_position = [Fly half](/source/Rugby_union_positions)
| years1 = 1919-1922
| clubs1 = [Swansea RFC](/source/Swansea_RFC)<ref name="Statistics at swansearfc.co.uk">{{cite web|url=http://www.swansearfc.co.uk/Teams/Player?personid=101196|title=Statistics at swansearfc.co.uk|publisher=swansearfc.co.uk|date=31 December 2017|accessdate=1 January 2018}}</ref>
| repteam1 = [Wales](/source/Wales_national_rugby_union_team)<ref name="Statistics at wru.co.uk">{{cite web|url=http://www.wru.co.uk/eng/matchcentre/squads_wales_player_archive.php?player=25827&includeref=dynamic|title=Statistics at wru.co.uk|publisher=wru.co.uk|date=31 December 2017|accessdate=1 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180120040649/http://www.wru.co.uk/eng/matchcentre/squads_wales_player_archive.php?includeref=dynamic&player=25827|archive-date=20 January 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Statistics at en.espn.co.uk">{{cite web|url=http://en.espn.co.uk/wales/rugby/player/2748.html|title=Statistics at en.espn.co.uk|publisher=espn.co.uk|date=31 December 2017|accessdate=1 January 2018}}</ref>
| repyears1 = 1921-1922
| repcaps1 = 6
| reppoints1 = 6
| ru_ntupdate =
| module = {{infobox rugby league biography | embed = yes
| position = [Back](/source/Rugby_league_positions), e.g. {{rlp|ce}}
| year1start   = 1922
| club1        = [Leeds](/source/Leeds_Rhinos)
| appearances1 = 85
| points1      = 79
}}
}}

'''William Bowen''' (6 December 1897 – 19 December 1960)<ref name="Statistics at swansearfc.co.uk"/> was a Welsh dual-code [rugby union](/source/rugby_union), and professional [rugby league](/source/rugby_league) footballer who played in the 1910s and 1920s. He played representative level rugby union (RU) for [Wales](/source/Wales_national_rugby_union_team), winning 6 [cap](/source/cap_(sport))s, and at club level for [Swansea](/source/Swansea_RFC), as a [fly half](/source/Rugby_union_positions), and club level rugby league (RL) for [Leeds](/source/Leeds_Rhinos), as a {{rlp|ce}}.

==Rugby career==
Bowen was first selected to play for Wales during the [1921 Five Nations Championship](/source/1921_Five_Nations_Championship) in a game against Scotland. Under the captaincy of [Tommy Vile](/source/Tommy_Vile), Wales lost the match in a match that was nearly abandoned due to crowd problems, when the [St Helen](/source/St._Helen's_Rugby_and_Cricket_Ground)'s spectators kept pushing onto the pitch.<ref name="Godwin130">Godwin (1983), pg 130.</ref> Bowen was re-selected for the next game of the tournament this time against France in a victory at the [Cardiff Arms Park](/source/Cardiff_Arms_Park), though he lost his place for the last match in Ireland.

Bowen was reselected to represent Wales for the entirety of the [1922 Five Nations Championship](/source/1922_Five_Nations_Championship) in which Wales won the tournament, winning three of the games and drawing against Scotland. Bowen scored two [tries](/source/Try_(rugby)) during the tournament; the first in the opening Welsh victory over England when Bowen was one of eight different players to score a try for Wales. His second was more important, as it allowed the draw with Scotland snatched by Wales when [Islwyn Evans](/source/Islwyn_Evans) scored a drop goal in the last two minutes.<ref name="Godwin135">Godwin (1983), pg 135.</ref>

Bowen may have been awarded more caps for Wales, but he 'Went North' in 1922, switching codes to professional rugby league, joining Leeds RLFC.<ref>Robert Gate (1986). "Gone North - Volume 1". R. E. Gate. {{ISBN|0-9511190-0-1}}</ref> Bowen made his début for [Leeds](/source/Leeds_Rhinos) against [Bradford Northern](/source/Bradford_Bulls) at [Headingley](/source/Headingley_Rugby_Stadium), [Leeds](/source/Leeds) on Saturday 2 September 1922.<ref name="The Headingley Story - 1890-1955 - Volume One - Rugby">Dalby, Ken (1955). ''The Headingley Story - 1890-1955 - Volume One - Rugby''. The Leeds Cricket, Football & Athletic Co. Ltd ASIN: B0018JNGVM</ref> Bowen played at {{rlp|ce}} and scored a [try](/source/Try_(rugby)) in [Leeds](/source/Leeds_Rhinos)' 28–3 victory over [Hull F.C.](/source/Hull_F.C.) in the [1922–23 Challenge Cup](/source/1922%E2%80%9323_Challenge_Cup) Final during the [1922-23 season](/source/1922%E2%80%9323_Northern_Rugby_Football_League_season) at [Belle Vue](/source/Belle_Vue_(Wakefield)), [Wakefield](/source/Wakefield), the only occasion the Challenge Cup final has ever been staged at Belle Vue.<ref name="History of Leeds Rugby League Club">{{cite web|url=http://britishrugbyleague.blogspot.co.uk/2005/12/history-of-leeds-rugby-league-club.html|title=History of Leeds Rugby League Club|publisher=britishrugbyleague.blogspot.co.uk|date=31 December 2012|accessdate=1 January 2013|archive-date=16 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216182749/http://britishrugbyleague.blogspot.co.uk/2005/12/history-of-leeds-rugby-league-club.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The [Leeds](/source/Leeds_Rhinos) backline in the early 1920s was known as the Busy Bs, as it included; [Jim Bacon](/source/Jim_Bacon_(rugby)), [Arthur Binks](/source/Arthur_Binks), Billy Bowen, [Joe Brittain](/source/Joe_Brittain) and [Harold Buck](/source/Harold_Buck).<ref name="Leeds rugby league legend medals auction">{{cite news|url=http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/yep125/leeds-rugby-league-legend-medals-auction-1-6117009|title=Leeds rugby league legend medals auction|work=Yorkshire Evening Post|date=31 December 2013|accessdate=1 January 2014}}</ref>

===International matches played===
'''Wales'''<ref name="Smith464">Smith (1980), pg 464.</ref>
*{{ru|ENG}} 1922
*{{ru|FRA}} 1921, 1922
*{{ru|IRE}} 1922
*{{ru|SCO}} 1921, 1922

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book|last=Godwin|first=Terry|title=The International Rugby Championship 1883-1983|year=1984|publisher=Willows Books|location=London|isbn=0-00-218060-X}}
*{{cite book|last=Smith|first=David|last2=Williams|first2= Gareth|title=Fields of Praise: The Official History of The Welsh Rugby Union|year=1980|publisher=University of Wales Press|location=Cardiff|isbn=0-7083-0766-3}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/search/?q=Bowen Search for "Bowen" at rugbyleagueproject.org]
<!--*[http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/billy-bowen/summary.html Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org]-->
<!--*[http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/william-bowen/summary.html Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org]-->

{{Leeds - 1922–23 Challenge Cup Final winners}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bowen, Billy}}
Category:1897 births
Category:1960 deaths
Category:20th-century Welsh sportsmen
Category:Leeds Rhinos players
Category:Rugby league centres
Category:Rugby league players from Swansea
Category:Rugby union fly-halves
Category:Rugby union players from Swansea
Category:Swansea RFC players
Category:Wales international rugby union players
Category:Welsh rugby league players
Category:Welsh rugby union players

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Billy Bowen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Bowen) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Bowen?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.