{{short description|South African rugby union player|bot=PearBOT 5}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}} {{Use South African English|date=January 2016}}
{{Infobox rugby biography | name = Billy Dutton | image = | fullname = <!--if different--> | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1989|06|09|df=y}} | birth_place = East London, South Africa | height = {{height|m=1.90}} | weight = {{cvt|105|kg|lb stlb}} | nickname = | occupation = | school = Cambridge High School, East London | university = Damelin, University of Fort Hare | relatives = | position = Loose forward / Lock | currentclub = {{Rut|Eastern Province Elephants}} | youthyears1 = 2009–2010 | youthclubs1 = {{Rut|Border Bulldogs}} | years1 = 2010–2011 | clubs1 = {{Rut|Border Bulldogs}} | apps1 = 3 | points1 = 0 | years2 = 2015–2021 | clubs2 = {{Rut|Border Bulldogs}} | apps2 = 63 | points2 = 50 | years3 = 2022– | clubs3 = {{Rut|Eastern Province Elephants}} | apps3 = | points3 = | amatyears1 = 2011–2014 | amatteam1 = {{Rut|UFH Blues}} | amatapps1 = 16 | amatpoints1 = 5 | amatyears2 = 2015 | amatteam2 = Old Selbornians | amatapps2 = 3 | amatpoints2 = 5 | clubupdate = 29 March 2022 }}
'''Billy Dutton''' (born 9 June 1989) is a South African rugby union player, currently playing with the {{Rut|Border Bulldogs}}.<ref name="SARU Player Profile Billy Dutton">{{SA Rugby Player Profile | id=50106 | name=Billy Dutton | date=29 May 2016}}</ref> He is a utility forward that can play as a lock, flanker or number eight.
==Playing career==
Dutton joined the Border Bulldogs academy after high school and he played for the {{Rut|Border U21}} side in the 2009 Provincial Championship, where he made six appearances.
In 2010, Dutton was also included in the {{Rut|Border Bulldogs}} squad for the 2010 Vodacom Cup and made his first class debut on 26 February 2010, playing off the bench in an 8–69 defeat to a {{Rut|Sharks XV}} in Durban in their opening match of the season.<ref name="Sharks XV 69-8 Border">{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=18835 | homeid=7980 | awayid=7981 | leagueid=765 | hometeam=Sharks XV | homescore=69 | awayscore=8 | awayteam=Border | matchdate=26 February 2010 | date=20 May 2016}}</ref> He again played at Under-21 level in 2010, making five appearances and scoring a try in a match against the {{Rut|Pumas U21}}s.<ref name="Border 28-53 Pumas">{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=18822 | homeid=8031 | awayid=8038 | leagueid=769 | hometeam=Border | homescore=28 | awayscore=53 | awayteam=Pumas | matchdate=24 September 2010 | date=20 May 2016}}</ref>
Dutton made a further two first class appearances for the Border Bulldogs during the 2011 Vodacom Cup competition, coming on as a replacement in matches against the {{Rut|Griffons}} and the {{Rut|Pumas}}.<ref name="Ford Pumas 73-14 Border">{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=20065 | homeid=8473 | awayid=8465 | leagueid=802 | hometeam=Ford Pumas | homescore=73 | awayscore=14 | awayteam=Border | matchdate=18 March 2011 | date=20 May 2016}}</ref> 2011 also saw the launch of a second-tier competition to the Varsity Cup, called the Varsity Shield. Dutton represented the {{Rut|UFH Blues}} in this competition between 2011 and 2014, also captaining the side during the 2013 season.<ref name="Time to deliver">{{cite web | url=http://www.grassrootsrugby.co.za/time-to-deliver/ | title=Time to deliver | work=Grassrootrs Rugby | date=31 January 2013 | accessdate=15 January 2016}}</ref>
In 2015, Dutton represented amateur club side Old Selbornians in the 2015 SARU Community Cup, scoring a try against defending champions and eventual runners-up Rustenburg Impala.<ref name="Kempston Old Selbornians 22-28 Rustenburg Impala">{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=139004 | homeid=23934 | awayid=23924 | leagueid=2274 | hometeam=Kempston Old Selbornians | homescore=22 | awayscore=28 | awayteam=Rustenburg Impala | matchdate=7 March 2015 | date=20 May 2016}}</ref> He was recalled to the Border Bulldogs shortly after the conclusion of the SARU Community Cup and – after a four-year absence – returned to provincial rugby, making five appearances for his side in the 2015 Vodacom Cup, which included an appearance off the bench in their only victory of the competition, when they beat the {{Rut|Boland Cavaliers}} 29–5.<ref name="Border Bulldogs 29-5 Boland Cavaliers">{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=140784 | homeid=24404 | awayid=24374 | leagueid=2304 | hometeam=Border Bulldogs | homescore=29 | awayscore=5 | awayteam=Boland Cavaliers | matchdate=9 May 2015 | date=20 May 2016}}</ref> He was retained in the squad for the Border Bulldogs' 2015 Currie Cup qualification campaign and – after being an unused replacement in their 20–13 victory over eventual champions {{Rut|Griquas}}<ref name="Border 20-13 ORC Griquas">{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=141104 | homeid=24754 | awayid=24764 | leagueid=2324 | hometeam=Border | homescore=20 | awayscore=13 | awayteam=ORC Griquas | matchdate=12 June 2015 | date=20 May 2016}}</ref> – made his Currie Cup debut in their match against the {{Rut|Griffons}} in Welkom.<ref name="Down Touch Griffons 43-20 Border">{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=141244 | homeid=24744 | awayid=24754 | leagueid=2324 | hometeam=Down Touch Griffons | homescore=43 | awayscore=20 | awayteam=Border | matchdate=18 July 2015 | date=20 May 2016}}</ref> He made one more appearance in the competition in their match against the {{Rut|Leopards}}<ref name="Border 8-33 Leopards">{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=141264 | homeid=24754 | awayid=24724 | leagueid=2324 | hometeam=Border | homescore=8 | awayscore=33 | awayteam=Leopards | matchdate=25 July 2015 | date=20 May 2016}}</ref> as Border, by virtue of finishing in sixth position, qualified for the 2015 Currie Cup First Division. Dutton firmly established himself in the squad during that competition, starting all five of their matches in the number eight shirt. However, his side had another poor season, losing their first four matches before bouncing back to beat the {{Rut|Boland Cavaliers}} 44–20 in their final match of the season.<ref name="Border 44-20 Boland">{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=154184 | homeid=29634 | awayid=29594 | leagueid=2334 | hometeam=Border | homescore=44 | awayscore=20 | awayteam=Boland | matchdate=25 September 2015 | date=20 May 2016}}</ref>
At the start of 2016, Dutton was one of six Border Bulldogs players that joined the {{Rut|Southern Kings}}' Super Rugby squad for a trial period as they prepared for the 2016 Super Rugby season.<ref name="New recruits as Southern Kings 2016 season starts">{{cite press release | url=http://www.eprugby.co.za/new-recruits-as-southern-kings-2016-season-starts/ | title=New recruits as Southern Kings 2016 season starts | publisher=Eastern Province Kings | date=4 January 2016 | accessdate=5 January 2016 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160128225943/http://www.eprugby.co.za/new-recruits-as-southern-kings-2016-season-starts/ | archivedate=28 January 2016 | df=dmy-all }}</ref> However, he returned to Border Bulldogs after he failed to be contracted for the Super Rugby side.<ref name="More players join the ranks of the Southern Kings squad">{{cite press release | url=http://www.eprugby.co.za/more-players-join-the-ranks-of-the-southern-kings-squad/ | title=More players join the ranks of the Southern Kings squad | publisher=Eastern Province Kings | date=22 January 2016 | accessdate=22 January 2016 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160129012942/http://www.eprugby.co.za/more-players-join-the-ranks-of-the-southern-kings-squad/ | archivedate=29 January 2016 | df=dmy-all }}</ref>
===Statistics===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:85%; width:90%" |- ! colspan=100% | First class career |- ! style="width:10%;" rowspan=2 | Season ! style="width:12%;" rowspan=2 | Teams ! colspan=2 | Currie Cup First Division ! colspan=2 | Currie Cup qualification ! colspan=2 | Vodacom Cup ! colspan=2 | Total |- ! style="width:6%;" | Apps ! style="width:6%;" | Pts ! style="width:6%;" | Apps ! style="width:6%;" | Pts ! style="width:6%;" | Apps ! style="width:6%;" | Pts ! style="width:6%;" | Apps ! style="width:6%;" | Pts |- | 2010 || style="text-align:left;" | {{Rut|Border Bulldogs}} || — || — || — || — || 1 || 0 || 1 || 0 |- | 2011 || style="text-align:left;" | Border Bulldogs || — || — || — || — || 2 || 0 || 2 || 0 |- | 2015 || style="text-align:left;" | Border Bulldogs || 5 || 0 || 2 || 0 || 5 || 0 || 12 || 0 |- ! 2010–2015 || style="text-align:left;" | Border Bulldogs Total || 5 || 0 || 2 || 0 || 8 || 0 || 15 || 0 |- ! 2010–2015 || style="text-align:left;" | Career Total || 5 || 0 || 2 || 0 || 8 || 0 || 15 || 0 |}
==References== {{reflist|colwidth=30em}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dutton, Billy}} Category:1989 births Category:Living people Category:Border Bulldogs players Category:Rugby union flankers Category:Rugby union locks Category:Rugby union number eights Category:Rugby union players from East London, South Africa Category:South African rugby union players Category:Eastern Province Elephants players Category:21st-century South African sportsmen