Rugby Football League Hall of Fame

Summary

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.[1] 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.[2]

Douglas Clark was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005.

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.[3] 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.[4]

Hall of Fame members edit

Inducted Player name Position Club(s)
1988   Billy Batten Centre Hull
1988   Brian Bevan Wing Warrington
1988   Billy Boston Wing Wigan, Blackpool Borough
1988   Alex Murphy Scrum-half St. Helens, Leigh, Warrington
1988   Jonty Parkin Scrum-half Wakefield Trinity, Hull Kingston Rovers
1988   Gus Risman Centre Salford, Workington Town
1988   Albert Rosenfeld Wing Huddersfield, Wakefield Trinity, Bradford Northern, Easts
1988   Jim Sullivan Fullback Wigan
1988   Harold Wagstaff Centre Huddersfield
1989   Neil Fox Centre Wakefield Trinity, Bradford Northern, Hull Kingston Rovers, York, Huddersfield
2000   Vince Karalius Loose forward St. Helens, Widnes
2000   Roger Millward Stand-off Castleford, Hull Kingston Rovers
2000   Tom van Vollenhoven Wing St. Helens
2005   Eric Ashton Centre Wigan
2005   Douglas Clark Loose forward Huddersfield
2005   Ellery Hanley Loose forward Bradford Northern, Wigan, Leeds, Balmain, Western Suburbs
2005   Martin Hodgson Second-row Swinton
2013   Lewis Jones Stand-off Leeds
2013   Martin Offiah Wing Widnes, Wigan, Eastern Suburbs, St George Dragons, London Broncos, Salford City Reds
2013   Garry Schofield Centre, Stand-off Hull FC, Leeds, Balmain, Western Suburbs, Doncaster, Huddersfield, Bramley
2013   Mick Sullivan Wing Huddersfield, Wigan, St. Helens, York, Dewsbury
2014   Willie Horne Stand-off Oldham, Barrow
2014   Mal Reilly Loose forward Castleford, Manly-Warringah
2015   Shaun Edwards Scrum-half, Stand-off Wigan, Balmain, London, Bradford
2015   Albert Goldthorpe Fullback, Stand-off Hunslet
2018   Johnny Whiteley Loose forward Hull, Hull Kingston Rovers
2018   Derek Turner Loose forward Hull Kingston Rovers, Oldham, Wakefield Trinity
2018   Andy Gregory Scrum-half Widnes, Warrington, Wigan, Leeds, Salford
2022   Andy Farrell Second-row Loose forward Wigan
2022   Adrian Morley Prop Second-row Leeds, Sydney, Bradford, Warrington Wolves, Swinton Lions, Salford Red Devils
2022   Clive Sullivan Wing Hull FC, Hull KR, Oldham, Doncaster
2022   David Watkins Fullback Salford, Swinton, Cardiff

Women's Hall of Fame edit

In 2022, a Women’s Rugby League Hall of Fame was established with three inaugural inductees.[5]

Year inducted Player name Club(s)
2022 Brenda Dobek Wakefield Panthers, Townville, Featherstone Rovers
2022 Lisa McIntosh Bradford, Dudley Hill
2022 Sally Milburn Barrow, Askam

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Barrow legend Willie Horne inducted into RL Hall of Fame". North-West Evening Mail. 20 October 2014. Archived from the original on 21 March 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  2. ^ "Martin Offiah among legends to join Rugby League Hall of Fame". Daily Mirror. 31 October 2013.
  3. ^ Carr, Richard (1 October 1995). "Britain marks centennial of the Rugby League". Sun Sentinel. Fort Lauderdale. p. 6. Retrieved 13 December 2009.
  4. ^ Whitwam, Linda (14 February 2012). "Huddersfield's historic George Hotel has new owners". Huddersfield Daily Examiner. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
  5. ^ "Historic RL Hall of Fame recognition for Dobek, McIntosh and Milburn". Rugby-League.com. 21 September 2022. Retrieved 25 October 2023.

External links edit

  • Rugby League Hall of Fame at rugby-league.com

53°38′53″N 1°47′00″W / 53.6480°N 1.7833°W / 53.6480; -1.7833