Bill Arthur: Sky Sports rugby league commentator, who worked on every Super League Grand Final, dies aged 68 | Rugby League News | Sky Sports

Sky Sports today confirms the incredibly sad news that legendary Sky Sports rugby league commentator, Bill Arthur, has died at the age of 68 after a long battle with prostate cancer.

Bill died peacefully on Wednesday surrounded by his family and inspired many with his courageous battle against the disease which he was diagnosed with in 2011.

Bill was a much-loved and respected member of the Sky Sports family who will be missed terribly by his friends and colleagues. Everyone at Sky Sports sends their heartfelt condolences to Bill’s loved-ones and ask that their privacy is respected at this difficult time.

Beginning his journalism career in newspapers in South Yorkshire, Bill worked for the Barnsley Star and Sheffield Star before transitioning into radio, working for Metro Radio in Newcastle and Radio City in Liverpool.

He then moved into breakfast television with TV AM and worked for Champion TV as the North West reporter. From 1990, he worked on The Sports Channel which then went on to become Sky Sports the following year.

Although hailing from Leamington Spa, he was a dedicated rugby league fan and in the early 1990s became the regular pitchside reporter for live matches and feature reporter for the magazine programme Boots ‘N’ All.

Bill was part of the coverage of the brave new world of summer rugby and Super League right from the very start too.

In his role pitchside, he was there at Stade Charlety to witness the birth of a new era as Paris Saint-Germain defeated Sheffield Eagles 30-24 in front of a crowd of 18,000.

Two years later, he was fulfilling the same position at Old Trafford for the first Super League Grand Final and would go on to work on every edition of the competition’s showpiece occasion up to the end of the 2023 season.

Bill would progress from pitchside to the commentary box as well, commentating on the Academy League with Phil Clarke in the late 1990s, and he was also the lead commentator for Sky’s Championship coverage from 2007 to 2012, working alongside Barrie McDermott and Terry O’Connor.

He eventually stepped up to become Sky Sports’ lead rugby league commentator following Eddie Hemmings’ retirement in April 2019.

His time behind the microphone included calling Gareth O’Brien’s golden-point drop goal in the 2016 Million Pound Game which saw Salford Red Devils secure Super League survival at the expense of Hull KR, and the emotional moment Rob Burrow entered the field in his final game for Leeds Rhinos against Bradford Bulls in 2020.

Perhaps most memorably though, he was on hand to call the dramatic conclusion to that year’s Grand Final, where a 19-year-old Jack Welsby snatched victory for St Helens over Wigan Warriors on the last play of the game.

Commentating on his beloved Catalans Dragons’ runs to the Grand Finals of 2021 and 2023 were undoubtedly highlights as well, although in each of those deciders he would see them defeated by St Helens and Wigan Warriors respectively.

Jonathan Licht, Managing Director of Sky Sports, said: “We are truly saddened by the loss of our friend and colleague Bill Arthur.

“Bill has been a mainstay of Sky Sports’ rugby league coverage for the last 30 years. I want to express my personal gratitude to Bill for his unwavering commitment to Sky, as well as the passion and devotion he brought to our viewers and fans of the sport.

“I know that Bill will be greatly missed by those who were lucky enough to work with him, and I would like to extend my condolences to Bill’s wife, Cherry, and his family for their loss.”

He is survived by his wife Cherry and children, Simon, Meredith, Kit and Nancy.

As a tribute to Bill, supporters will be invited to join a minute’s applause before each of this weekend’s six Betfred Super League fixtures, all of which will be shown live on Sky Sports, starting with Thursday’s match between Huddersfield Giants and Leeds Rhinos at the John Smith’s Stadium.

RFL president and Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle said: “Bill Arthur has been a constant in Sky’s coverage of rugby league going back before the start of Super League, and on behalf of the sport and the RFL, I send my sincere condolences to his family and friends.

“There was always great humour as well as knowledge and professionalism in his commentary and interviews, and he will be fondly remembered for making a major contribution to our sport.”

Tribute from former Sky Sports Rugby League commentator Eddie Hemmings

Bill Arthur… what a pro!

I first came into contact with Bill when I was at BBC Radio Merseyside in Liverpool. Bill was in the ‘opposition camp’ at Radio City.

When Champion TV was launched in the late 1980’s our p