Sonny Bill Williams enjoyed a successful return to rugby on Saturday, turning out for his Belfast club in front of thousands of people at Sheldon Park.

Williams helped Belfast to a 22-7 victory over Lincoln University, scoring a try during his 50 minutes on the field.

Williams left the field as a precaution after a hamstring tightened up.

"It was pretty unbelievable," Williams said of the crowd, which was four or five deep around the pitch.

"I was a bit tired at halftime but I wanted to give the people their money's worth so I went back out there for another run. It was a good day, I really enjoyed it.

"It's good to know that people still like me, especially down these ways. Rugby league's not really that big so it's good to know that people know me down here and really supported me.

"All the little kids [saying] `Sonny Bill you're cool', that really means a lot."

It's was Williams' first return to a competitive match since he played for Toulon in France about three months ago. He then underwent minor surgery on his left knee in late June.

Williams will come into contention to play for Canterbury in their ITM Cup match against North Harbour at AMI Stadium on Friday night.