More than 40 of the greatest players from international rugby league’s beginnings to current superstar Jason Taumalolo have become the first inductees into the IRL Hall of Legends.
The Inductees comprise of 10 players from pre-1954, six greats of the women’s game and 26 male players from the post-1954 era – including Taumalolo, whose decision to represent Tonga at the 2017 World Cup changed international rugby league forever.
A total of eight nations are represented – Australia, England, New Zealand, France, Wales, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga.
Inductees were celebrated, and those who were able to attend presented with their awards by coaching great Wayne Bennett, at a ceremony at Suncorp Stadium on Thursday ahead of this weekend’s IRL Rugby League World Cup 2026 finals.
Among those in attendance were former Kangaroos captains Darren Lockyer, Cameron Smith and Wally Lewis, Kiwis legends Stacey Jones, Ruben Wiki and Mark Graham, playmaking great Johnathan Thurston and Pacific pioneer Petero Civoniceva, who played 46 Tests for Australia and five for Fiji, including the 2013 World Cup.
The Inductees included Ali Brigginshaw, who retired at the end of the 2026 NRLW season after 29 appearances for Australia, including Player of the Match in the final of the two previous World Cups in 2017 and 2022.
Fellow Jillaroos greats Karyn Murphy and Tahnee Norris were also inducted, alongside Kiwi Ferns legends Honey Hireme-Smiler, Trish Hina and Luisa Avaiki, who also played for Samoa. All except Hina were in attendance.
The list of Inductees includes 13 Immortals – Lewis, Mal Meninga, Andrew Johns, Reg Gasnier, John Raper, Graeme Langlands, Bob Fulton, Arthur Beetson, Ron Coote, Clive Churchill, Dally Messenger, Dave Brown and Frank Burge.
Sir Billy Boston and Ellery Hanley head the list of British players, which includes Malcolm Reilly, legendary playmakers Alex Murphy, Neil Fox and Roger Millward, and Mick Sullivan – the only Englishman to have won two World Cups.
French greats Puig Aubert and Jean Galia – considered the founder of the game in France – also feature, alongside fellow pioneers such as English stars Billy Batten, and Harold Wagstaff, and Messenger, who toured Britain with the 1907 New Zealand All Stars.
Wales is also represented, with Jim Sullivan and Gus Risman having played for Wales, as well as Great Britain, while Boston was also Welsh.
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.”
To be considered for induction into the IRL Hall of Legend candidates must have:
Made a significant contribution to the international rugby league and/or
Be a member of their nation’s Hall of Fame or equivalent recognition, and/or
Been awarded an IRL Golden Cap (50 Tests) and/or
Won the IRL Golden Boot/RLIF International Player of the Year Award
More than 240 nominees were identified and the inaugural IRL Hall of Legends Inductees were chosen by a committee of esteemed Rugby League coaches, players, administrators, journalists and commentators from across the world.
The best Wheelchair Rugby League players will be considered for selection in the next induction during Rugby League World Cup 2030 as the IRL Hall of Legends acknowledges and recognises every discipline of the international game. This will enable the Wheelchair game to mature and grow the pool of candidates.
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 –