The Rugby League Hall of Fame honours the leading players of the sport of rugby league. It was established by the sport's governing body in the UK, the Rugby Football League, in 1988. Players must have been retired for at least five years to be eligible; they must also have played at least ten years within the British game. Players are chosen for induction to the hall of fame by a panel consisting of sports writers, broadcasters and officials.
Inductions to the hall of fame have been sporadic. Nine players were inducted when the hall was opened in 1988 and one more was added the following year. In 1995 the members of the hall of fame appeared on postage stamps released as part of Britain's centenary celebrations. There were no new inductees until 2000, when three more players were introduced as part of the buildup to the 2000 Rugby League World Cup. A further four players were inducted in 2005, and four more in 2013 during the fourteenth World Cup.
The Hall of Fame is located at the George Hotel in Huddersfield, where a group of northern clubs met in 1895 and resolved to leave the Rugby Football Union to form their own body, which led to the development of the separate codes of rugby league and rugby union.
2022 saw the first female inductees of the Hall of Fame.
Hall of Fame Players Source
InductedPlayerPositionClub(s)1988 Harold WagstaffHuddersfield1988 Jim SullivanWigan1988 Albert RosenfeldHuddersfield, Wakefield Trinity, Bradford Northern, Easts1988 Gus RismanSalford, Workington Town1988 Jonty ParkinWakefield Trinity, Hull Kingston Rovers1988 Alex MurphySt. Helens, Leigh, Warrington1988 Billy BostonWigan, Blackpool Borough1988 Brian BevanWarrington1988 Billy BattenHull1989 Neil FoxWakefield Trinity, Bradford Northern, Hull Kingston Rovers, York, Huddersfield2000 Roger MillwardCastleford, Hull Kingston Rovers2000 Tom van VollenhovenSt. Helens2000 Vince KaraliusSt. Helens, Widnes2005 Martin HodgsonSwinton2005 Ellery HanleyBradford Northern, Wigan, Leeds, Balmain, Western Suburbs2005 Douglas ClarkHuddersfield2005 Eric AshtonWigan2013 Lewis JonesLeeds2013 Martin OffiahWidnes, Wigan, Eastern Suburbs, St George Dragons, London Broncos, Salford City Reds2013 Mick SullivanHuddersfield, Wigan, St. Helens, York, Dewsbury2013 Garry Schofield, Hull FC, Leeds, Balmain, Western Suburbs, Doncaster, Huddersfield, Bramley2014 Mal ReillyCastleford, Manly-Warringah2014 Willie HorneOldham, Barrow2015 Shaun Edwards, Wigan, Balmain, London, Bradford2015 Albert Goldthorpe, Hunslet2018 Johnny WhiteleyHull, Hull Kingston Rovers2018 Derek TurnerHull Kingston Rovers, Oldham, Wakefield Trinity2018 Andy GregoryWidnes, Warrington, Wigan, Leeds, Salford2022 David WatkinsSalford, Swinton, Cardiff2022 Clive SullivanHull FC, Hull KR, Oldham, Doncaster2022 Adrian Morley Leeds, Sydney, Bradford, Warrington Wolves, Swinton Lions, Salford Red Devils2022 Andy Farrell Wigan2022 Sally MilburnBarrow, Askam2022 Lisa McIntosh Bradford, Dudley Hill2022 Brenda Dobek Wakefield Panthers, Townville, Featherstone Rovers2024 James Lomas , Bramley, Salford, Oldham, York2024 Alan Prescott , , , Halifax, St Helens2024 Jane Banks 2024 Michelle Land 2024 Paul Sculthorpe , , Warrington, St Helens2024 Jamie Peacock , Bradford, Leeds, Hull KR
Teams The 2024 player inductions also saw teams inducted for the first time. Teams to have been inducted into the Hall of Fame are: 2024: 1996 Great Britain Lionesses touring squad – the inaugural Great Britain women's team, the only European team to have beaten Australia in a test series at time of induction.
See also Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame
References
External links Rugby League Hall of Fame at rugby-league.com