Anger at no knighthoods in 130 years

Rugby league authorities say their players have been “poorly treated” by the honours system, as pressure grows for a first knighthood or damehood for the sport.

The sport has gone 130 years without such an honour.

“It is surprising and disappointing that the relevant authorities have still not deemed anyone worthy of a knighthood or damehood for their services to rugby league,” said a spokesperson for the Rugby Football League, which governs the sport.

The Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, added his voice, telling BBC News the lack of rugby league knighthoods “cannot be right” when other sports, including rugby union, have had such honours “quite regularly”.

The leader of a cross-party group of MPs who support rugby league has suggested the “scandal” of the lack of top honours for stars of the sport was linked to snobbery and class prejudice.

“This, I suspect, is because they come from working class backgrounds, didn’t go to the right schools, and didn’t mix in the right social circles,” said David Baines, chair of the all-party Parliamentary rugby league group.

“Well enough is enough. It’s 2025, and myself and other MPs are clear it’s time for things to change.”

Sir Lindsay Hoyle, who is a former president of the Rugby Football League, said: “Rugby league has a long and proud history and is littered with examples of players who have excelled in the sport and inspired future generations to play the game.”

He says there is something wrong when the sport “cannot boast one single player, over its 130-year history, who has received a knighthood”.

“I want to see rugby league given the recognition it deserves and hope this will be addressed in the near future,” said the Speaker.

In contrast, rugby union, often seen as having more middle class roots, has been getting knighthoods for more than 100 years. Among more recent rugby knights was Sir Bill Beaumont, awarded “for services to rugby union football” in 2018.

There have been many other sporting knighthoods and damehoods, including in athletics, yachting, football, golf, tennis, horse racing, cycling and rowing.

Next weekend will see the sport’s showcase Challenge Cup Final at Wembley Stadium.

And speaking on behalf of the MPs’ rugby league group, Mr Baines said the lack of such an honour for rugby league was an unfairness to “some of Britain’s greatest sporting heroes”.

That included “legends of the game who overcame racial and class prejudice such as Billy Boston and Clive Sullivan, to modern heroes on and off the pitch like Kevin Sinfield,” said Mr Baines.

England star Kevin Sinfield has raised more than £10m running for causes related to motor neurone disease, in memory of his late teammate Rob Burrow.

Billy Boston was a celebrated Welsh-born rugby league player from the 1950s and 1960s, who is now aged 90. A petition was launched earlier this year to award him a knighthood.

“We do believe rugby league has historically been poorly treated in terms of recognition in various ways, including honours lists,” said a spokesman for the Rugby Football League.

There have been honours, such as CBEs and OBEs, but no knighthoods. The Prince of Wales personally gave Kevin Sinfield and Rob Burrow their CBEs last year at the ground in Leeds where they used to play.

A BBC analysis earlier this year revealed that a disproportionately low number of top honours, such as knighthoods and damehoods, were going to people from the north of England and working class backgrounds – which overlaps with the rugby league heartlands.

In the most recent New Year Honours only 6% of higher awards went to people in the north of England and 4% to people from working-class backgrounds.

The government has recognised there are problems with under-representation in the honours and an independent chair is being recruited to improve diversity and outreach.

“The government wants to ensure that the honours system reflects the diversity of UK society. Anyone can nominate someone who has made an exceptional contribution to be recognised,” said a government spokesman.