Sir Billy Boston and Ellery Hanley among inaugural inductees into the IRL Hall of Legends

Sir Billy Boston and Ellery Hanley lead the English and Welsh greats named among the inaugural inductees into the International Rugby League (IRL) Hall of Legends. 

Prolific winger Boston, who died in August at the age of 92, is joined by fellow Welsh greats Jim Sullivan and Gus Risman, while England and Great Britain stars Alex Murphy, Malcolm Reilly, Roger Millward and Neil Fox are also honoured. 

England and Great Britain pioneers Harold Wagstaff and William ‘Billy’ Batten are recognised alongside Mick Sullivan, the only Englishman to have won two World Cups. 

The initial intake spans eight nations, with 10 players in the pre-1954 category, six women and 26 men from the post-1954 era. 

Inductees are due to be celebrated at an event at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium on Thursday ahead of the IRL Rugby League World Cup 2026 finals, with those attending presented with their awards. 

IRL Chairman Troy Grant said: “The inaugural IRL Hall of Legends Inductees is a special group of players and a real who’s who of International Rugby League. 

“This is long overdue recognition for these players whose contribution to international rugby league was not just confined to the playing field but transcended into the betterment of the game and into the lives and memories of rugby league fans worldwide. 

“The list of nominees was exceptional and there will be further inductions to come into the IRL Hall of Legends. We simply couldn’t induct every deserving nominee at our first attempt; their recognition will come.” 

Tonga’s Jason Taumalolo is the only current player inducted. The women’s inductees are Australia’s Ali Brigginshaw, Karyn Murphy and Tahnee Norris, and New Zealand’s Honey Hireme-Smiler, Trish Hina and Luisa Avaiki, who also represented Samoa. 

Other inductees include New Zealand’s Stacey Jones, Ruben Wiki and Mark Graham; Australia’s Darren Lockyer, Cameron Smith, Wally Lewis and Mal Meninga; and France’s Puig Aubert and Jean Galia. 

An international committee of Rugby League coaches, players, administrators, journalists and commentators selected the inductees from more than 240 nominees. 

Candidates must meet one or more eligibility criteria: a significant contribution to international Rugby League; membership of their nation’s Hall of Fame or equivalent recognition; an IRL Golden Cap for 50 Tests; or an IRL Golden Boot or RLIF International Player of the Year Award. 

The leading Wheelchair Rugby League players will be considered for the next induction during Rugby League World Cup 2030, allowing the wheelchair game to mature and its pool of candidates to grow as the Hall of Legends recognises every discipline of the international game. 

IRL Hall of Legends  

Pre-1954   

• CLIVE CHURCHILL (Australia) 
  37 Internationals 1948-1957 
• DALLY MESSENGER (Australia/New Zealand) 
  12 Internationals 1907-1910 
• PUIG AUBERT (France) 
  46 Internationals 1947-1956  
• JIM SULLIVAN (Wales/Great Britain/Other Nationalities) 
  60 Internationals 1924-1933 
• HAROLD WAGSTAFF (England/Great Britain)  
  21 Internationals 1911-1921 
• DAVE BROWN (Australia) 
  9 Internationals 1933-1936 
• GUS RISMAN (Wales/Great Britain) 
  36 Internationals 1932-1946 
• FRANK BURGE (Australia) 
  13 Internationals 1914-1922 
• WILLIAM ‘BILLY’ BATTEN (England/Great Britain) 
  25 Internationals 1907-1921 
• JEAN GALIA (France) 
  4 Internationals 1934-1936

Women 

• ALI BRIGGINSHAW (Australia) 
  29 Internationals 2009-2025 
• KARYN MURPHY (Australia) 
  28 Internationals 1998-2013 
• HONEY HIREME-SMILER (New Zealand) 
  32 Internationals 2003-2019 
• LUISA AVAIKI (New Zealand/Samoa) 
  25 Internationals 1995-2008 
• TAHNEE NORRIS (Australia) 
  33 Internationals 1998-2013 
• TRISH HINA (New Zealand) 
  22 Internationals 1999-2010  

Post-1954 

• DARREN LOCKYER (Australia) 
  63 Internationals 1997-2011 
• JOHN RAPER (Australia) 
  40 Internationals 1959-1968 
• WALLY LEWIS (Australia) 
  34 Internationals 1981-1991 
• REG GASNIER (Australia) 
  39 Internationals 1959-1968 
• MAL MENINGA (Australia) 
  46 Internationals 1982-1994 
• CAMERON SMITH (Australia)  
  56 Internationals 2006-2017 
• ARTHUR BEETSON (Australia) 
  29 Internationals 1966-1977 
• GRAEME LANGLANDS (Australia) 
  45 Internationals 1963-1975 
• SIR BILLY BOSTON (Great Britain/Other Nationalities) 
  34 Internationals 1954-1963 
• BOB FULTON (Australia) 
  37 Internationals 1968-1978 
• ANDREW JOHNS (Australia) 
  26 Internationals 1995-2006 
• ELLERY HANLEY (England/Great Britain) 
  38 TESTS 1984 – 1993 
• MARK GRAHAM (New Zealand) 
  29 Internationals 1977-1988 
• JOHNATHAN THURSTON (Australia) 
  38 Internationals 2006-2017 
• RON COOTE (Australia) 
  24 Internationals 1967-1975 
• RUBEN WIKI (New Zealand) 
  55 Internationals 1994-2006 
• STACEY JONES (New Zealand) 
  46 Internationals 1995-2006 
• BRAD FITTLER (Australia) 
  40 Internationals 1991-2001 
• ALEX MURPHY (England/Great Britain) 
  29 Internationals 1958-1971 
• MALCOLM REILLY (England/Great Britain) 
  12 Internationals 1970-1977 
• ROGER MILLWARD (England/Great Britain) 
  47 Internationals 1966-1978 
• NEIL FOX (England/Great Britain) 
  30 Internationals 1959-1969 
• PETERO CIVONICEVA (Australia/Fiji) 
  51 Internationals 2001-2014 
• MICK SULLIVAN (England/Great Britain) 
  51 Internationals 1954-1963 
• BILLY SLATER (Australia) 
  30 Internationals 2008-2017  
• JASON TAUMALOLO (Tonga/New Zealand) 
  34* Internationals 2014 -