Legends Bleddyn Williams and Jack Matthews are the latest inductees to the IRB Rugby Hall of Fame

Wales legends Bleddyn Williams and Jack Matthews were last night among the latest players inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

The Welsh duo were among eleven legends of the Game, with nearly 500 caps between them, who were inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame.
Gerald Davies on hand to represent the all-Welsh centre partnership, both of whom sadly passed away in recent years.

The almost telepathic understanding developed while playing together for Cardiff and Wales saw Williams and Matthews play prominent roles on the 1950 Lions tour - the first of the post-War era. Both went on to make significant contributions to rugby at the end of their playing days too, as a commentator and Lions doctor respectively.

Staged following the conclusion of the opening day of the inaugural IRB World Rugby Conference and Exhibition, the British & Irish Lions and Australia themed ceremony attracted a number of notable guests as the global rugby community came together to celebrate past glories.

Split equally between the northern and southern hemispheres, the inductees were: Thomas Lawton Snr., John Thornett, Ken Catchpole, Mark Ella, David Campese and George Gregan from Australia, while Robert Seddon and the 1888 British team, David Bedell-Sivright, Bleddyn Williams and Jack Matthews, Ronnie Dawson and Gavin Hastings.

Getting into the Hall of Fame is a bit like being canonised. It can take a heck of a long time for it to be proven that you've done a miracle.

Having said that, the current Aussie team seem to be spending a lot of time turning water into wine so I expect plenty of inductees from their ranks in the near future.