RFL president asks Keir Starmer to help ‘overturn injustice’ and grant rugby league knighthoods

No rugby league player has ever been knighted for services to the sport and St Helens MP David Baines says it’s time for that to change.

He has been backed by House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle, who revealed he has raised the matter with the Prime Minister personally.

According to an analysis of Cabinet Office data, conducted by the BBC, only six per cent of higher awards in the latest new year honours went to people in the north of England and only four per cent to people from working-class backgrounds.

Baines says despite public campaigns and worthy candidates, including the likes of Wigan Warriors legend Billy Boston, St Helens great Alex Murphy and Leeds Rhinos icon Kevin Sinfield, rugby league players have been continually overlooked.

During a House of Commons debate, the MP said it was “time to ensure that our great game and some of the outstanding individuals who represent it receive the recognition they deserve”.

The sport’s snub was a “surprise” to Leader of the House Lucy Powell, who insisted the government “want to recognise the valuable contribution rugby league plays to our communities and to our country”.

The Speaker intervened in the discussion and said he has personally asked the Prime Minister to overturn the “major injustice and the stigma against rugby league where not one person has ever been knighted”.

Speaker Hoyle, who is a Warrington Wolves fan and was president of the RFL until last month said “I would have thought now is the time and we wait no longer” after Sinfield raised millions of pounds for the battle against motor neurone disease.