{"id":961941,"date":"2026-11-12T15:38:12","date_gmt":"2026-11-12T15:38:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/961941\/"},"modified":"2026-11-12T15:38:12","modified_gmt":"2026-11-12T15:38:12","slug":"rlwc26-jason-taumalolo-among-inaugural-irl-hall-of-legends-inductees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/961941\/","title":{"rendered":"RLWC26: Jason Taumalolo among inaugural IRL Hall of Legends inductees"},"content":{"rendered":"

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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A total of eight nations are represented – Australia, England, New Zealand, France, Wales, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga.<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n


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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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n


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French greats Puig Aubert and Jean Galia \u2013 considered the founder of the game in France \u2013 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.<\/p>\n

Wales is also represented, with Jim Sullivan and Gus Risman having played for Wales, as well as Great Britain, while Boston was also Welsh.<\/p>\n


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IRL Chairman Troy Grant said: “The inaugural IRL Hall of Legends Inductees is a special group of players and a real who\u2019s who of International Rugby League.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“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.<\/p>\n

“The list of nominees was exceptional and there will be further inductions to come into the IRL Hall of Legends. We simply couldn\u2019t induct every deserving nominee at our first attempt; their recognition will come.”<\/p>\n


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To be considered for induction into the IRL Hall of Legend candidates must have:<\/p>\n

Made a significant contribution to the international rugby league and\/or
\nBe a member of their nation’s Hall of Fame or equivalent recognition, and\/or
\nBeen awarded an IRL Golden Cap (50 Tests) and\/or
\nWon the IRL Golden Boot\/RLIF International Player of the Year Award<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

IRL Hall of Legends
\nPre-1954<\/p>\n

CLIVE CHURCHILL (Australia)
37 Internationals 1948-1957
\nDALLY MESSENGER (Australia\/New Zealand)
12 Internationals 1907-1910
\nPUIG AUBERT (France)
46 Internationals 1947-1956
\nJIM SULLIVAN (Wales\/Great Britain\/Other Nationalities)
60 Internationals 1924-1933
\nHAROLD WAGSTAFF (England\/Great Britain)\u00a0
21 Internationals 1911-1921
\nDAVE BROWN (Australia)
9 Internationals 1933-1936
\nGUS RISMAN (Wales\/Great Britain)
36 Internationals 1932-1946
\n\u00a0FRANK BURGE (Australia)
13 Internationals 1914-1922
\nWILLIAM \u2018BILLY\u2019 BATTEN (England\/Great Britain)
25 Internationals 1907-1921
JEAN GALIA (France)
4 Internationals 1934-1936<\/p>\n

Women<\/p>\n

ALI BRIGGINSHAW (Australia)
29 Internationals 2009-2025
\nKARYN MURPHY (Australia)
28 Internationals 1998-2013
\nHONEY HIREME-SMILER (New Zealand)
32 Internationals 2003-2019
\nLUISA AVAIKI (New Zealand\/Samoa)
25 Internationals 1995-2008
\nTAHNEE NORRIS (Australia)
33 Internationals 1998-2013
\nTRISH HINA (New Zealand)
22 Internationals 1999-2010\u00a0<\/p>\n

Post-1954<\/p>\n

DARREN LOCKYER (Australia)
63 Internationals 1997-2011
\nJOHN RAPER (Australia)
40 Internationals 1959-1968
\nWALLY LEWIS (Australia)
34 Internationals 1981-1991
\nREG GASNIER (Australia)
39 Internationals 1959-1968
\nMAL MENINGA (Australia)
46 Internationals 1982-1994
\nCAMERON SMITH (Australia)\u00a0
56 Internationals 2006-2017
\nARTHUR BEETSON (Australia)
29 Internationals 1966-1977
\nGRAEME LANGLANDS (Australia)
45 Internationals 1963-1975
\nSIR BILLY BOSTON (Great Britain\/Other Nationalities)
34 Internationals 1954-1963
\nBOB FULTON (Australia)
37 Internationals 1968-1978
\nANDREW JOHNS (Australia)
26 Internationals 1995-2006
\nELLERY HANLEY (England\/Great Britain)
38 TESTS 1984 \u2013 1993
\nMARK GRAHAM (New Zealand)
29 Internationals 1977-1988
\nJOHNATHAN THURSTON (Australia)
38 Internationals 2006-2017
\nRON COOTE (Australia)
24 Internationals 1967-1975
\nRUBEN WIKI (New Zealand)
55 Internationals 1994-2006
\nSTACEY JONES (New Zealand)
46 Internationals 1995-2006
\nBRAD FITTLER (Australia)
40 Internationals 1991-2001
\nALEX MURPHY (England\/Great Britain)
29 Internationals 1958-1971
\nMALCOLM REILLY (England\/Great Britain)
12 Internationals 1970-1977
\nROGER MILLWARD (England\/Great Britain)
47 Internationals 1966-1978
\nNEIL FOX (England\/Great Britain)
30 Internationals 1959-1969
\nPETERO CIVONICEVA (Australia\/Fiji)
51 Internationals 2001-2014
\nMICK SULLIVAN (England\/Great Britain)
51 Internationals 1954-1963
\nBILLY SLATER (Australia)
30 Internationals 2008-2017
\nJASON TAUMALOLO (Tonga\/New Zealand)
34* Internationals 2014 –\u00a0<\/p>\n

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