Wallabies legend Tim Horan was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame overnight.
Horan was one of two Australians and 25 rugby greats to be included in this year’s list, announced at Wembley Stadium.
The two-time Rugby World Cup winner has 80 caps for Australia and was named the World Cup player of the tournament in the 1999 World Cup.
Horan was a pivotal player in both of Australia’s 1990s World Cup wins, including a spectacular try in the 1991 cup off a no-look David Campese pass.
The Queenslander formed a world-class partnership with Jason Little, with whom he first played against when they were both at school in Toowoomba, and later combined with Daniel Herbert.
Tom “Rusty”Richards, the only man to play for both Australia and the British and Irish Lions, was the other Australian inductee.
The trophy contested by the British and Irish Lions and the Wallabies is named in his honour.
On Richards’ inclusion in the Australian hall of fame in 2005, then ARU president Paul McLean commented that he was a player revered in his time.
To be included in the hall of fame, players, administrators or coaches must have been retired from international rugby for at least three years, have made an outstanding contribution to rugby and demonstrated the game’s core values, as set out by World Rugby: passion, integrity,solidarity, discipline and respect both on and off the field.
The pair are the latest of 15 Australians in the Hall of Fame, alongside players like Horan’s teammates John Eales ,George Gregan and Campese.
The World Rugby hall of fame was launched in 2006, with William Webb-Ellis the first inclusion.
Australians in the World Rugby Hall of Fame:
David Campese, Ken Catchpole, Bob Dwyer, John Eales, Mark Ella, Nick Farr-Jones, George Gregan, Tim Horan, Thomas Lawton, Michael Lynagh, Rod Macqueen, Tom Richards, Nicholas Shehadie, John Thornett, Ian Roger Vanderfield.
