Jane Banks, Michelle Land, Jamie Peacock MBE and Paul Sculthorpe MBE have been recognised as the best of the very best and will take their place in the Hall of Fame at a celebration induction dinner hosted by Rugby League Cares on Tuesday October 22.
The four champions of the men’s and women’s games will be inducted alongside the late James Lomas and Alan Prescott, whose elevation into the sport’s most prestigious and exclusive club was announced last week.
The inductions take the number of players in the RL Hall of Fame to 41– 36 men and five women – which represents a tiny fraction of the number of people who have played the sport since its formation in 1895.
There will be an additional feature of this year’s Hall of Fame induction dinner, as for the first time a team will be added to the Hall of Fame in a new category – the identity of that team will be confirmed later this week.
RFL Chief Executive Tony Sutton said: “On behalf of the whole sport, I would like to congratulate Jane, Michelle, Jamie and Paul on their very worthy induction into the RL Hall of Fame.
“All four represented their clubs and their country with distinction throughout their playing careers and acted as inspirational role models to countless numbers of young players.
“It is a real privilege to be able to bestow this very special honour on four individuals who have made such important contributions to the history of our sport.”
Jane Banks
Jane Banks was capped 19 times by Great Britain during an illustrious career that saw her selected for four tours of the southern hemisphere, the first time as a 17-year-old in 1996 when she was an integral part of the Ashes-winning Lionesses squad.
She was named player of the tour on the 1998 series in New Zealand and took the player of the series award in the 2000 World Series played in the UK.
Banks played in a number of positions, moving from full-back and centre early in her career before switching to second row and prop later on, when she led from the front.
Blessed with speed and courageous in defence, she started her career as a junior at Wigan St Pats before playing for Warrington Ladies, Hindley Pumas, Bradford Thunderbirds and Warrington.
Michelle Land
Michelle Land captained Wakefield Panthers, the most successful club in women’s Rugby League history, for 14 years and consistently proved herself as a leader of the highest order.
An intelligent organiser at hooker or half-back, as well as a voracious tackler, Land commanded the respect of all who played with, or against her.
She represented Great Britain on 16 occasions and was a three-time tourist in 1996, 1998 and 2002, as well as being named as Great Britain’s co-captain alongside fellow Hall of Famer Brenda Dobek in the 2000 World Series played on home soil.
Jamie Peacock MBE
Jamie Peacock is a true giant of the Super League era, a player who set high standards which he expected all around him to rise to.
He made 47 international appearances, 21 for England and 26 for Great Britain during an 18-year career with Bradford Bulls, Leeds Rhinos and Hull Kingston Rovers.
The former Stanningley junior made his Super League debut with Bradford Bulls in 1999 and gained his first England call up the following season in the 2000 World Cup.
He was a two-time Challenge Cup final winner and three-time Grand Final winner with Bradford before joining Leeds in 2006, when he went on to win a further six Grand Finals and two Challenge Cups, before his retirement in 2016.
Peacock was named Man of Steel in 2003 and was named in the Super League Dream team a record 11 times.
His international high point came in November 2006 when he captained Great Britain to a 23-12 victory over Australia in Sydney, scoring a try in the Lions’ first Test win in Australia for 14 years.
Paul Sculthorpe MBE
Paul Sculthorpe was twice named Man of Steel during an illustrious career with St Helens, England and Great Britain when he was recognised as one of the most athletic and talented players in the sport’s history.
Having played his junior rugby in his home-town of Oldham, Sculthorpe began his professional career at Warrington in 1995 and was selected by Great Britain for their 1996 Oceania tour, when he gained the first of 26 GB caps.
He joined Saints for a then world record fee of £375,000 the following year, going on to make 261 appearances for the club over the next 11 years. In that time, he helped St Helens to Super League Grand Final wins in 1999, 2000 and 2002, and Challenge Cup final victories in 2001, 2004 and 2006, as well as three World Club Challenge titles.
He became the first player to be named Man of Steel in successive seasons in 2001 and 2002.
To be considered for entry into the Hall of Fame, players must have a record of outstanding achievement at the very highest levels of the game; possess a reputation that transcends the era in which they played; and have made a contribution to the game that will last as long as Rugby League is played.
Inductees are selected by a specially-convened panel comprising representatives from across the sport, including former international players, coaches, historians, administrators and media.
Ahead of the Rugby League World Cup in England in 2022, significant changes were made to the RL Hall of Fame induction procedure, to allow the consideration of women and wheelchair players – consistent with the staging of men’s, women’s and wheelchair competitions in sport’s most inclusive World Cup.
To be eligible for nomination to the Hall of Fame, players must have played Rugby League in the UK for at least 10 years and played their last match at least five years before the date of the Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
Two years ago, former Great Britain internationals Brenda Dobek, Lisa McIntosh and Sally Milburn had the honour of becoming the first three women to be inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside the distinguished quartet of Andy Farrell OBE, Adrian Morley, Clive Sullivan MBE and David Watkins.
The RL Hall of Fame Dinner is a spectacular and unmissable night when the six new inductees will be welcomed into this exclusive club by existing Hall of Famers.
The dinner sees people from across the sport, including fans, sponsors and the clubs whose players have been recognised as the greatest of all time, come together to celebrate sporting heroes.
Tickets for the RL Hall of Fame dinner at The Edge, Wigan, on Tuesday October 22 (7.00pm start) purchased before September 20 are available from Rugby League Cares at the special early bird price of £60 per head (£600 for a table of 10, inc VAT) – please email events@rlcares.org.uk for more details.
Full details of the RL Hall of Fame can be found here
