Rugby league’s greatest international stars were recognised in the first IRL Hall of Legends, while Kalyn Ponga, Stacey Waaka and Rob Hawkins took the 2026 Golden Boots on the same night in Brisbane.
The International Rugby League marked a landmark night in Brisbane by naming the inaugural inductees into its Hall of Legends and awarding the 2026 Golden Boots for the best international players of the year.
At a special function ahead of the Rugby League World Cup finals, the Hall of Legends class of 42 players was revealed, spanning pre-1954 pioneers, women’s greats and post-1954 stars. Awards were presented by Wayne Bennett. The same evening also saw the Golden Boot presentations, with New Zealand’s Kalyn Ponga taking the men’s award, Stacey Waaka the women’s, and England’s Rob Hawkins the wheelchair honour for a third consecutive year.
Hawkins becomes the first player in any form of rugby league to win three successive Golden Boots and only the second overall (after Johnathan Thurston) to claim the award three times. Ponga and Waaka’s Kiwis and Kiwi Ferns teammates performed hakas in tribute after the pair capped strong World Cup campaigns with the individual honours.
Key Inductees
Jason Taumalolo (Tonga/New Zealand) stands out as the only active player in the class. His decision to represent Tonga rather than New Zealand at the 2017 World Cup is widely credited with accelerating the rise of Pacific nations and changing the face of international rugby league. With 34 internationals from 2014, his inclusion recognises both on-field excellence and cultural impact.
Darren Lockyer (Australia) finishes with the highest number of internationals among the inductees (63 between 1997 and 2011). The former Kangaroos captain and Immortal combined longevity, leadership and big-game performance across more than a decade at the top. His presence underlines the weight of consistent excellence at Test level.
Wally Lewis (Australia), “The King”, is another Immortal whose 34 internationals (1981-1991) came during a period of Australian dominance. Lewis’s combination of skill, toughness and aura made him one of the most influential figures in the game’s history.
Ali Brigginshaw (Australia) is the highest-profile women’s inductee. The long-serving Jillaroo (29 internationals from 2009-2025) retired from the international stage at the end of the 2025 NRLW season after helping drive the growth of the women’s game, including Player of the Match performances in World Cup finals. Her recognition, alongside Karyn Murphy, Tahnee Norris, Honey Hireme-Smiler, Luisa Avaiki and Trish Hina, gives the women’s game a clear foothold in the Hall from the outset.
Sir Billy Boston (Great Britain/Other Nationalities) receives posthumous recognition. The Welsh winger, who died in August 2026 aged 92, was the first rugby league player to be knighted and remains one of the sport’s most prolific try-scorers and trailblazers. His 34 internationals (1954-1963) sit alongside a career that broke barriers.
On the pre-1954 side, Dally Messenger, Clive Churchill, Jim Sullivan (60 internationals) and the French pair of Puig Aubert and Jean Galia (widely regarded as a founder of the game in France) ensure the earliest eras are properly represented.
Full List of Inductees
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–
Wheelchair rugby league players are expected to be considered from the 2030 World Cup onward.
The Hall of Legends fills a gap at the international level, sitting alongside national halls of fame and the Australian Immortals. With the 2026 World Cup finals about to be contested, the timing underlines both the game’s history and its ongoing evolution.
The dual recognition of history and current excellence on the same night underlines both the depth of rugby league’s international past and the strength of the modern game heading into the World Cup finals.
