Humbled to be part of rugby’s geat and good

I NEVER thought my rugby career had any more highlights but this week, it reached its pinnacle when I was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame.

Not a bad achievement for a little fella from Amman who only returned to rugby when he was 18 years old!

It was an unbelievable honour and probably stuck the final finger up to those who said I was too small and would never make it. But with hard work and a lot of ups and downs, I got there in the end.

I was inductee number 122, just after Brian O’Driscoll and just before Jeremy Guscott, Lawrence Dallaglio and Jonny Wilkinson. That’s not bad company to be in.

The great thing about British and Irish rugby is the friends you make along the way. These were guys who you tried to bash lumps out of most weeks but then you get the chance to play and tour together and you discover they are not the dreaded enemy and you end up becoming life-long friends.

Funnily enough, the most surreal moment was walking around the gallery with Ieuan Evans, one of my childhood heroes, seeing big pictures and videos of myself.

I never imagined I would play professional rugby, let alone play for my country and the British Lions and especially reach this level. It was a humbling experience, especially as my cap seemed to be the only one that was too big for them!