Former Greats - Bob 'Botsy' Williams
Bob Williams
| Plyr No. |
Debut Year |
Final Year |
Birth Date | Death Date | Games | Tries | Points |
| 45 | 1910 | 1920 | 10/12/1885 | 27/04/1969 | 118 | 6 | 18 |
| Debut Club Game | 30/04/1910 | Round 1, 1910 v Newtown Royal Agricultural Showground, Moore Park (Age 23) |
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| Final Club Game | 01/09/1920 | Round 16, 1920 v Annandale Sydney Cricket Ground No. 2, Moore Park (Age 34) |
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| Seasons | 10 | 1910 - 1918, 1920 - 1920 * | |||||
| * Missed the 1919 season due to work committments | |||||||
| Debut Club | One Club Player? | Final Club | |||||
| Sydney Roosters | Yes | Sydney Roosters | |||||
Bob ‘Botsy’ Williams had a ten season first grade career at the Roosters and in 1918 he became the second player (after Sandy Pearce) to play 100 first grade games for the Club. After making his first grade debut in 1910, Williams played for New South Wales in 1911 and was chosen later that year for the 1911/12 Kangaroo tour. Williams was part of the test team that won the Ashes on British soil in 1912, the first (and final time) the Kangaroos would win a series in Great Britain for over fifty years. Due to that Kangaroo tour Williams missed the 1911 finals series and the subsequent premiership win, but he was there for the next two premiership wins in 1912 and 1913 and the three City Cup titles in 1914, 1915 and 1916.
He was a man players wanted to play with and was a key member of one of the Roosters’ greatest ever forward packs. Although relatively light weighted, Williams would not take a backward step to anyone and was one of the most respected forwards in the game. Williams, a waterside worker from Woolloomooloo, skipped the 1919 season due to work commitments but returned for a tenth and final season in 1920, at age 34, playing all 14 premiership games and both City Cup matches. A loyal clubman to the end.
| Representative Honours | ||
| Australia | 5 Tests (Player No. 27) | 1908 - 1909 |
| New South Wales | 1 Interstate Game (Player No. 79) | 1911 - 1911 |
| Club Honours |
| 2 Premiership Titles (1912 and 1913) |
| 3 City Cup Titles (1914, 1915 and 1916) |
| Sydney Roosters Life Member (2025) |
Sydney Roosters respect and honour the Traditional Custodians of the land and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and future. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the lands we meet, gather and play on.
