Boland played for the Past Grammar Schools Football Club in Brisbane, and went on to claim a total of 3 international rugby caps for Australia, playing in the first ever home Tests against the British Lions and the first ever Test Match against New Zealand. In 1899 he had his international debut in the 3rd Test of 1899 British Lions tour to Australia against Matthew Mullineux's British side in Sydney, on 5 August 1899. A week later he would play again in the 4th test. He had earlier made an appearance for Queensland against those same tourists. In Queensland Rugby Union’s 1932 Jubilee, Boland was named in the "Gallery of Great Players" for representing QLD on more than 10 occasions. He had played 15 matches for the state: 13 against NSW, one against Great Britain and one against New Zealand.