Class of 2009

Candidates for induction into the IRB Hall of Fame

21st Century

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21.1 Martin Osborne Johnson CBE (England) - Born on 9 March 1970 in Solihull, Martin Johnson is the only player in history to have captained the British and Irish Lions twice. Having made his Lions debut on the 1993 tour to New Zealand, he led them to South Africa in 1997, when the Lions won for the second time a Test series in the 20th Century, and captained them again to Australia in 2001. Having played for the Grand Slam winning England team of 1995, he became captain of his country in 1999, leading England to the 2003 Grand Slam and victory in that year’s Rugby World Cup. Johnson retired from international rugby in January 2004 and from club rugby the following year. As a youngster he went to New Zealand in 1989, where he played two seasons for King Country and was selected for the New Zealand Under 21 side. He captained Leicester Tigers to four English Premiership titles and two Heineken Cups. Johnson won 84 caps for England between 1984 and 1996 and played in eight Tests for the Lions. He was awarded the CBE in the 2004 New Year Honour’s List and more recently was appointed manager of the England national team in 2008.

21.2 Ian Robert ‘Geech’ McGeechan – Born in Headingley on 30 October 1946, Ian McGeechan played at fly half and centre for the local club between 1964 and 1979. He represented Scotland in 32 internationals, nine of them as captain, and scored 21 points between 1972 and 1979. His association with the Lions began in 1974, when he joined the invincible tour to South Africa. He made his Lions debut against Western Transvaal on 15 May 1974 and went on playing in a further 29 matches – 13, including the four Tests in South Africa, and 16, including four Tests, on the 1977 tour to New Zealand. McGeechan finished his Lions playing career with a non-capped Test against Fiji on 16 August 1977. However this was not the end of his association with the Lions and his coaching career with them is simply second to none. He coached the 1989 Lions in Australia, was head coach of the 1993 tourists to New Zealand and then coached the 1997 Lions to a series victory over the Springboks, all in association with his long-term partner and forward coach Jim Telfer. In 2005 he assisted Sir Clive Woodward on the Lions trip to New Zealand and he is once again head coach for the 2009 Lions tour to South Africa. His coaching career had begun with Scotland as assistant coach to Derrick Grant in 1986 and he took over as coach in 1988. Two years later he helped Scotland win the Five Nations Grand Slam. McGeechan then coached Northampton until 1999 when he was appointed SRU Director of Rugby. He coached Scotland in Rugby World Cup 2003, before two years later being appointed Director of Coaching at Wasps, with whom he won the Heineken Cup in 2006/07.  

21.3 Joost van der Westhuizen (South Africa) – Born in Pretoria on 20 February 1971, Joost van der Westhuizen became – following his international debut against Argentina in November 1993 - a symbol of the renaissance of the new, apartheid-free South African rugby as one of the leading forces in the world game. The Northern Transvaal scrum half played in a then record 89 Test matches over 10 years of international action, in which he scored 38 tries. He captained the Springboks 10 times and was a proud owner of a Rugby World Cup winners’ medal having been a member of Francois Pienaar’s team that triumphed on home soil in 1995. Strong, athletic and fast he became the undisputed holder of the number nine Springbok jersey for a decade. He played against the Lions in the 1997 series, when despite his better efforts the Springboks lost the series 2-1. He scored a try in the 18-15 defeat in Durban and another in the third Test which South Africa won 35-16 at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. Earlier that year he had been the captain and inspiration of the South African side that lost to Fiji in the Rugby World Cup Sevens final in Hong Kong, a match regarded as one of the greatest ever Sevens matches. He retired at the age of 32 after Rugby World Cup 2003 quarter final defeat by New Zealand.

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