The World Rugby Hall of Fame (formerly the IRB Hall of Fame) recognises special achievement and contribution to the sport of rugby union. The World Rugby Hall of Fame covers players, coaches, administrators, match officials, institutions and other individuals.IRB Hall of Fame: Objective irb.com The Hall of Fame recognises the history and important contributions to the game, through one or more induction ceremonies that have been held annually except in 2010. The permanent physical home of the Hall of Fame was based at the Rugby Art Gallery, Museum & Library in Rugby, Warwickshire from 2016 until 2021.
History The Hall of Fame was introduced by the International Rugby Board (as World Rugby was then known) during the 2006 IRB Awards ceremony in Glasgow, Scotland. The inaugural inductees were William Webb Ellis, who apocryphally caught the ball during a football game and ran with it, and Rugby School, which has left a huge legacy with the game in a number of ways.Two inaugural inductees in IRB Hall of Fame irb.com
The second induction to the Hall of Fame took place in Paris on 21 October 2007, the night after the 2007 Rugby World Cup final. The next induction was in London on 23 November 2008.
The third induction, in which nine figures entered the Hall, was held on 27 October 2009 at Rugby School. The voting process for the class of 2009 was geared toward the history of British & Irish Lions tours to South Africa, the most recent of which took place in that year; all of the candidates were either Lions or Springboks.
For 2011, induction ceremonies were held at various locations around the world, with the year's final ceremony taking place as part of the 2011 IRB Awards on 24 October in Auckland, the day after the Rugby World Cup final in that city. The inductions at the Auckland ceremony, according to the IRB, were "under the theme of Rugby World Cup founders, visionaries and iconic figures," and were made in three groups—first for the founders of the RWC, then all World Cup-winning captains and coaches through the 2007 World Cup (minus John Eales, inducted in 2007), and finally other iconic players of the World Cup.
The pattern begun in 2011 was repeated in 2012, with six induction ceremonies being held in six countries. As in the two previous induction cycles, the 2012 inductions had an overriding theme; "Rugby – A Global Game". According to the IRB, it "celebrates Rugby's expansion to become a global sport played by millions of men and women worldwide."
On 31 July 2014, the IRB announced that its Hall would merge with the separate International Rugby Hall of Fame later in 2014. The merger saw the 37 members of the International Hall who had not already been honoured by the IRB formally enter the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2014 and 2015. The 2014 class of inductees also included six women.
On 19 November 2014 the IRB rebranded as World Rugby, and the Hall of Fame became known as the World Rugby Hall Of Fame.
Inductees YearNo.NationInducteeLink2006William Webb EllisRugby School2007Danie CravenPierre de CoubertinJohn EalesGareth EdwardsWilson Whineray20081888–89 New Zealand Native football teamNed HaigJack KyleMelrose Rugby Football ClubHugo PortaPhilippe SellaJoseph Astbury Warbrick2009 andBarry HeatlieBill MaclaganWillie John McBrideIan McGeechanSyd MillarCliff MorganTony O'ReillyBennie OslerFrik du Preez2011Barbarian Football ClubSerge BlancoAndré BonifaceCardiff Rugby Football ClubWilliam Percy CarpmaelDave GallaherMike GibsonFrank HancockLucien MiasJean PratAlan RotherhamHarry VassallKitch ChristieBob DwyerNick Farr-JonesMartin JohnsonJohn Kendall-CarpenterDavid KirkBrian LimaDick LittlejohnBrian LochoreJonah LomuRod MacqueenFrançois PienaarAgustín PichotGareth ReesNicholas ShehadieJohn SmitIR VanderfieldJake WhiteClive Woodward20121920 and 1924 United States Olympic rugby team1924 Romania Olympic rugby teamDonald CampbellIan CampbellYoshihiro SakataGordon TietjensKennedy TsimbaRichard Tsimba2013David Bedell-SivrightDavid CampeseKen CatchpoleRonnie DawsonMark EllaGeorge GreganAlfred St. George HamersleyGavin HastingsVladimir IlyushinThomas Lawton, SnrJack MatthewsRobert Seddon1888 British LionsWaisale SereviJohn ThornettBleddyn Williams2014Fred AllenDon ClarkeGrant FoxSean FitzpatrickMichael JonesIan KirkpatrickJohn KirwanTerry McLeanColin MeadsGraham MourieGeorge NēpiaNathalie AmielThis inductee is a woman.Gillian BurnsPatty JerveyCarol IsherwoodAnna RichardsFarah PalmerKeith RowlandsJames GreenwoodJ. P. R. WilliamsMichael LynaghJo MasoKeith WoodIeuan EvansJason LeonardJonny WilkinsonBill Beaumont2015Tim HoranTom RichardsEdgar MobbsRonald Poulton-PalmerWavell WakefieldJean-Pierre RivesMarcel CommuneauBasil MaclearFergus SlatteryTom KiernanAndy IrvineBill McLarenGordon BrownDanie GerberHennie MullerJoost van der WesthuizenMorne du PlessisNaas BothaNelson MandelaBarry JohnCarwyn JamesGerald DaviesGwyn NichollsMervyn DaviesPhil BennettJohnny Williams2016 andDaniel CarrollHeather MoyseMargaret AlphonsiLawrence DallaglioJeremy GuscottBrian O'DriscollDaisuke OhataG.P.S. MacphersonJohn DawesArthur GouldShane Williams2017133Felipe Contepomi134Al Charron135Fabien Pelous136Rob Andrew137Phaidra Knight2018138Stephen Larkham139Ronan O'Gara140Pierre Villepreux141Bryan Williams142Liza Burgess2019143Richie McCaw144Shiggy Konno145Os du Randt146Peter Fatialofa147Graham Henry148Diego Ormaechea2021149Osea Kolinisau150Humphrey Kayange151Huriana Manuel152Cheryl McAfee153Will Carling154Jim Telfer2022155Deborah Griffin156Sue Dorrington157Alice Cooper158Mary Forsyth159Kathy Flores160Fiao'o Fa'amausili2023161The Varsity Matches162Dan Carter163Thierry Dusautoir164George Smith165Juan Martín Hernández166Bryan Habana2024167Emilee Cherry168DJ Forbes169Sergio Parisse170Donna Kennedy171Chris Laidlaw2025172Lynne Cantwell173Matthew Burke174Richard Hill175Rochelle "Rocky" Clark2026176Joel Stransky177Zinzan Brooke178Sue Day179Jen Crawford180Rochelle Martin181Diego Dominguez182Abdelatif Benazzi
See also International Rugby Hall of Fame – merged into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2014 and 2015 World Rugby Museum – a celebration of the best international players to have played at Twickenham Stadium
Footnotes
References
External links World Rugby Hall of Fame