Billy Guyton

{{Infobox rugby biography

| name = Billy Guyton

| image =

| caption =

| birth_name = Billy-John Guyton

| nickname =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1990|3|17}}

| birth_place = Timaru, New Zealand

| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2023|5|15|1990|3|17}}

| death_place = Nelson, New Zealand

| height = 1.86 m

| weight = {{convert|90|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}}

| ru_position = Halfback
First five-eighth

| allblackno =

| allblackid =

| amatyears1 =

| amatteam1 =

| ru_amupdate =

| repteam1 = Māori All Blacks

| repyears1 = 2016

| repcaps1 = 2

| reppoints1 = 0

| ru_ntupdate = 15 May 2023

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| clubs1 =

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| points1 =

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| ru_currentclub =

| super1 = Hurricanes

| super2 = Crusaders

| super3 = {{Rut|Blues}}

| superyears1 = 2014

| superyears2 = 2015

| superyears3 = 2016−2017

| superapps1 = 1

| superapps2 = 1

| superapps3 = 24

| superpoints1 = 0

| superpoints2 = 0

| superpoints3 = 10

| ru_currentteam =

| super14update = 15 May 2023

| province1 = North Otago

| province2 = Tasman

| provinceyears1 = 2010–2012

| provinceyears2 = 2013–2017

| provinceapps1 = 29

| provinceapps2 = 52

| provincepoints1 = 89

| provincepoints2 = 90

| ru_provinceupdate = 15 May 2023

| repsevensyears1 =

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| coachteams1 =

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| school = Shirley Boys' High School
Nelson College

| university =

}}

Billy-John Aaron Guyton (17 March 1990 – 15 May 2023) was a New Zealand rugby union player. His position was halfback, he played 52 games for provincial side Tasman between 2013 and 2017 as well as playing for the {{rut|Blues}}, {{rut|Hurricanes}}, {{rut|Crusaders}} and the Māori All Blacks.{{cite web | url=http://www.makos.co.nz/theteam.aspx | title=Billy Guyton Tasman Profile | accessdate=12 November 2013 | url-status=usurped | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121226084838/http://www.makos.co.nz/theteam.aspx | archivedate=26 December 2012}}

Tasman

Guyton established himself as the starting halfback for Tasman during the 2013 ITM Cup in what was a successful season for the side where they won the championship division, with a one point win over {{rut|Hawke's Bay}} in the final, 26–25. This promoting the Mako to the premiership division.

Super Rugby

After a strong season for the Mako, Guyton was part of the Hurricanes squad for the 2014 Super Rugby season. After only 1 game for the Hurricanes he was signed as an injury replacement for the {{rut|Crusaders}} during the 2015 Super Rugby season after a season ending injury to Willi Heinz.{{cite web|title=Will Heinz's season-ending injury opens door for Billy Guyton at the Crusaders|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/65398548/will-heinzs-seasonending-injury-opens-door-for-billy-guyton-at-the-crusaders}}

After only playing another 1 game for the Crusaders, Guyton signed with the {{rut|Blues}} for the 2016 and 2017 seasons where he played 24 games.{{cite web|title=Injured All Blacks key to new-look Blues squad for Super Rugby 2016|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/73432602/injured-all-blacks-key-to-newlook-blues-squad-for-super-rugby-2016}}

Māori All Blacks

In October 2016 Guyton, who affiliated with the Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Pikiao, and Ngāti Raukawa iwi, was named in the Māori All Blacks squad for their end of year tour to the Northern Hemisphere.{{cite news | url=http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/sport/316468/six-new-caps-named-in-maori-all-blacks | title=Six new caps named in Maori All Blacks | date=25 October 2016 | work=RNZ News | accessdate=25 October 2016}}

Retirement and death

Guyton announced his retirement from playing rugby in October 2018, aged 28, after repeated concussions suffered in official matches had left him with symptoms of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).{{Cite web |last=Dine |first=Jonty |date=4 October 2018 |title=Head knocks force Tasman Mako Billy Guyton to retire |url=https://nelsonweekly.co.nz/2018/10/head-knocks-force-guyton-to-retire/ |access-date=16 March 2024 |website=Nelson Weekly |language=en-NZ}}{{Cite web |last=RNZ |first= |author-link=Radio New Zealand |date=14 March 2024 |title=Brain injury from head knocks discovered in late Blues halfback |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/rugby/brain-injury-from-head-knocks-discovered-in-late-blues-halfback-billy-guyton/5W7WY5CREFHK3HPZMDJTDMFNHY/ |access-date=16 March 2024 |website= |publisher=The New Zealand Herald |language=en-NZ}}

He died in Nelson on 15 May 2023, at the age of 33.{{cite news |date=15 May 2023 |title=Former Blues and Tasman Mako halfback Billy Guyton dies, aged 33 |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/300878829/former-blues-and-tasman-mako-halfback-billy-guyton-dies-aged-33/ |access-date=15 May 2023 |work=Stuff |publisher=Stuff}} Reports in New Zealand media suggested Guyton died from suspected suicide.{{Cite news |last=Aylwin |first=Michael |date=14 March 2024 |title=First professional rugby union player confirmed to have died with CTE |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/mar/14/first-professional-rugby-union-player-cte-billy-guyton |access-date=16 March 2024 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}

Guyton's family decided to donate his brain to the Neurological Foundation Human Brain Bank at the University of Auckland; following post mortem analyses conducted in New Zealand and Australia, he was diagnosed with stage 2 CTE in March 2024, becoming the first New Zealand based player to be officially diagnosed with the disease. The pathologist's report also found that Guyton's brain presented trauma induced cavum septum pellucidum, as well as age related tau deposits.