Twelve legends of the game will be inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame at a special ceremony to celebrate the official opening of the physical visitor experience in Rugby on 17 November.
Four England players, three Welshmen, a Scot, an Irishman, a Japanese legend, an Australian and a Canadian will be honoured at the ceremony, which will also be attended by a host of other rugby luminaries as the Hall of Fame establishes a physical home for the very first time.
The Hall of Fame will form a major part of the newly created Rugby Art Gallery and Museum in Rugby town, England, and will be opened by World Rugby Chairman and former England and British and Irish Lions captain Bill Beaumont, who is himself a Hall of Famer.
Beaumont said: “After extensive planning, we will soon have a permanent and physical World Rugby Hall of Fame, which will celebrate the sport’s rich tradition and history while also providing inspiration for the current and future generations of players, officials and supporters of the game.
“And how appropriate it is for the museum to be based in the town of Rugby, where it all began nearly 200 years ago. It really is a momentous occasion of our sport and I hope that people from all over the world will flock to visit the Hall of Fame and learn more about rugby, its journey and its future direction.
The full list of new inductees are Brian O’Driscoll (Ireland), Shane Williams (Wales), Jeremy Guscott (England), Lawrence Dallaglio (England), Heather Moyse (Canada), John Dawes (Wales), GPS Macpherson (Scotland), Arthur Gould (Wales), Jonny Wilkinson (England), Daniel Carroll (Australia and USA), Daisuke Ohata (Japan) and Maggie Alphonsi (England).
