Former All Blacks winger Sir Bryan Williams was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame at a ceremony in England on Thursday (NZ time).
Sir Bryan, former Ireland star and current Crusaders assistant coach Ronan O'Gara, former French first-five Pierre Villepreux and former Welsh women's great Liza Burgess all received their honours at the state-of-the-art physical home of the Hall of Fame.
Former Australia international Stephen Larkham, who was also named as part of the 2018 Hall of Fame honour roll, was inducted last month before the Wallabies test against the All Blacks in Sydney.
Williams is the 22nd individual from New Zealand to be inducted, joining the likes of Jonah Lomu, Sir Colin Meads, and Farah Palmer. The 1888 New Zealand team have also been inducted.
"It is a great honour to be inducted to the World Rugby Hall of Fame," said Williams.
"I remember my first game in 1961 was a curtainraiser before an All Blacks game, they were all my heroes and they inspired me.
"Nine years later, I was playing my first test for them. I loved my time in rugby and I'm lucky to say that rugby has loved me back."
Williams, 67, made his name on the All Blacks tour of South Africa in 1970 and went on to play 113 times, including 38 test matches, for New Zealand.
After hanging up the boots, he coached club side Ponsonby and Auckland, before becoming closely involved with Manu Samoa in the 1990s. He went on to become an assistant coach with the Hurricanes.
He was officially knighted as a part of the New Year 2018 Honours list and has previously received the Order of the British Empire in 1983, the Samoan Order of Merit in 1996 and the Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2013.
Newshub.
