William Henry was one of Nova Scotia’s greatest athletes in the mid to late 1800’s. He excelled in rugby, golf, lacrosse, cricket, snow shoeing, and hockey.

Henry was one of the Maritimes’ greatest cricketers. He represented Canada on all but one of the Canadian Cricket teams from 1887 to 1892, and was the captain of the team that defeated the United States in 1896. While in England with the Canadian team he averaged 88.5 runs, which is considered outstanding for a batter.

When it came to rugby, Henry’s excellent sprinting ability made him a great backfield player. He was also one of the first Halifax rugby players to use the “straight-arm” technique to gain ground while carrying the ball.

William had several other noteworthy accomplishments in sports and was one of the few Maritimers to ever reach stardom in the sport of lacrosse. He was an all-around athlete and a true amateur in the sense that he played only for the “love of the game.” William Henry is an Original Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame Inductee.