SUPER SKIPPERS LEAD GONG SHOW
BRITISH and Irish Lions captain Sam Warburton has been made an OBE in the New Year’s Honours.
Welshman Warburton led the Lions on their last two tours, including the drawn Test series against world champions New Zealand during the summer.
The Cardiff Blues ace has won 74 Wales caps and also led the Lions in Australia in 2013 – the youngest captain at 24 – for the 2-1 victory over the Wallabies.
Skipper Heather Knight has been awarded an OBE for services to cricket following England’s World Cup triumph, which was delivered with victory over India at Lord’s in July.
Knight, 27, said she was ‘‘blown away’’ with the award, adding: “When I was a young girl playing cricket for my brother’s team in Plymouth, I couldn’t have imagined that one day I would get an honour for captaining my country to a successful World Cup.
“Hopefully young girls pursuing sport today will see that it can take you places. It would be amazing if this honour made one girl think that she fancies picking up a cricket bat.”
England Women coach Mark Robinson also collects an OBE, while bowler Anya Shrubsole and Kent’s Tammy Beaumont both receive the MBE.
The England and Wales Cricket Board director of women’s cricket Clare Connor becomes a CBE, having previously been an OBE.
Former Scotland rugby union captain Ian McLauchlan becomes an OBE. “I see it as an honour to myself, my family and Scottish rugby in general,” said the 75-year-old former loosehead prop, who was nicknamed ‘Mighty Mouse’ and also enjoyed success with the Lions.
Ed Morrison, England’s first full-time professional rugby union referee, also collects an OBE.
Former Manchester United youth team coach Eric Harrison, who helped develop the ‘Class of 92’, receives an MBE.
Paralympian Stef Reid, who won silver in the F44 long jump at London 2012 and Rio 2016, is also awarded an MBE.