Lytham St. Anne’s resident and World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont has been awarded the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire for services to rugby on the international stage in His Majesty The King’s New Year’s Honours list.
The honour is in recognition of a lifetime spent in service to the betterment of rugby on and off the field and follows the awarding of a Knighthood in the New Year’s Honours list in 2018. The Knight Grand Cross is the highest rank in the Most Excellent Order of The British Empire.
Sir Bill Beaumont joined Fylde Rugby Club, Lancashire, in 1969 when he was 17 years old and stayed with the club until injury forced his retirement in 1982. He became a national television personality when he was a celebrated captain on the BBC quiz show A Question of Sport for 14 years
71-year-old Sir Bill Beaumont said in a statement released by the World Rugby, ‘ I am humbled and honoured to receive this accolade from His Majesty the King. I have always viewed my work as a rugby administrator as that of a guardian, driven by a passion to do the very best I can for rugby, its players, fans, and all those who give up their time to volunteer at grassroots level around the world. This accolade is as much recognition for our rugby family as a whole, and all who work tirelessly in the sport, as it is for me.
‘Rugby has been my life for more than half a century and has given me so much joy as a player, a father and grandfather to rugby-playing sons and a granddaughter, and as an administrator. I am very fortunate to be in a position to give back to the sport I love, and I am as passionate now about rugby now as I was when representing Fylde, Lancashire, England or the British and Irish Lions.
‘Rugby continues to transform, progress and advance as a sport and a movement and I am proud of what we have achieved in recent years.
‘From exceptional men’s and women’s Rugby World Cups and historic international calendar transformation to the exciting advancement of the women’s game, we will never stand still in making the sport the best it can be to all its participants and fans.
“To that end, I am particularly proud of the strong progress we have made in the priority area of player welfare and I remain unswerving in my commitment to making rugby even more safe, accessible and relevant. We are on a very exciting journey with a very bright future.
‘I have said it many times – in my opinion, rugby is the ultimate team sport – a sport with strong values and where the team is always greater than the individual.
‘I have been blessed to have played and worked with incredible people along the way who share the same passion for the betterment of the sport as I do. There is one person who has been at my side, a constant support from my playing days to now, my wife Hilary. She is my inspiration and rock.’
