| Full name | William Johnston | ||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 25 November 1885 | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Horfield, Bristol, England | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 29 November 1939 (aged 54) | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Bristol, England | ||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||
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William Johnston (25 November 1885 – 29 November 1939) was an English international rugby union player.
A native of Bristol, Johnston played his early rugby for Horsfield, before joining Bristol FC in 1908.[1]
Johnston was tried as a halfback and wing three-quarter early on by Bristol, but didn't have the necessary pace for these role and moved to fullback, a position he made his own.[2] He was the regular fullback for England from 1910 to 1914. His 16 caps became a long-standing record for an England fullback, eventually surpassed by Bob Hiller. He had two seasons as captain of Bristol between 1911 and 1913.[3]