Picture: Whitehaven RLFC.
A former Whitehaven rugby player has died at the age of 78 in the United States.
Billy Ennis played for Whitehaven rugby union club before turning professional with Whitehaven RLFC.
He has died in Birmingham, Alabama where he had lived since the late 1970s.
After showing a lot of promise as a teenager with the town’s rugby union club, Billy was 19 when he switched codes and moved from the Playground to the Recreation Ground.
A winger, with a deceptive turn of pace, he went straight into coach Ron Morgan’s first team squad.
He made his debut in a 10-9 Haven win at Rochdale in August 1967 and played in 29 of the 36 games that season.
But, with limited chances he would play just another 23 first team games over the next six seasons.
He was, however, top try scorer for Haven A team in the Lancashire Combination League during the 1970/71 season.
Billy played his final first team game on December 9 1973, a 52-5 defeat at Salford in the old First Division.
