‘Famous Five’ join Roll of Honour on night for the ladies
The Welsh Sports Hall of Fame ‘Roll of Honour’ has grown to 140 after five new names were added to the most exclusive list in Welsh sport at the 29th annual dinner at the Village Hotel, Cardiff on Wednesday, 20 June, 2018.
It was an event that celebrated the past, present and future of Welsh sport as the WSHoF’s new President, Lynn Davies, and Chair, Laura McAllister, hosted a night to remember for the 300+ guests.
Highlights of the evening were the posthumous induction onto the Roll of Honour of rugby league international and coach Roy Francis, the awarding of the Peter Corrigan Welsh Sports Media Award to Steve Bale, formerly of the Sunday Times, the presentation to the City of Cardiff of the first ‘Rhodri’, to commemorate the former Chair of the WSHoF, Rhodri Morgan, and then the addition of four outstanding women onto the Roll of Honour list.
Double World Champion and Olympic silver medal winning cyclist Becky James, World Cup winning cricketer and Welsh international hockey player Lynne Thomas, three-time Olympian and Commonwealth Games gold medal winning badminton player Kelly Morgan and Wales international football player and manager Jayne Ludlow brought the night to a grandstand finish as they shared the stage with Laura McAllister to amply illustrate the outstanding success across so many sports of Welsh sportswomen.
“It was a truly fabulous night of celebration for sport and all that is good about it,” said McAllister. “It was a very special and proud moment for me to share the stage at the end with so many wonderfully successful Welsh sportswomen.”
As well as stars of old, the night also showcased the success of Laura Deas in becoming the first Welsh athlete to win a medal at the Winter Olympics, the achievement of her Team GB colleague Mica Moore in reach Pyeong Chang and highlighted the record-breaking success of Team Wales at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in April.
The Chair of the Commonwealth Federation of Wales, Helen Phillips, brought two gold medallists, shooter David Phelps and bowler Marc Wyatt, silver medallist Latalia Bevan and her gymnastics team mate Maisie Methuen, who brought along her two gold medals from the recent World Cup Challenge event in Portugal.
The youngsters were able to hear stories from WSHoF President from the 1968 Olympic Games, as he welcomed two of his British team mates from 50 years ago in sprinter Ron Jones and swimmer Dave Haller. There were also appearances from Roll of Honour members Non Evans (Rugby / Judo / Wrestling), who was celebrating her 44th birthday, Billy Boston (Rugby League), JJ Williams (Rugby Union), Sheila Morrow (Hockey), Davies and Jones (both athletics).
29th Annual WSHoF Roll of Honour Dinner Award Winners
Roll of Honour Inductees
Roy Francis (Rugby League)
Becky James (Cycling)
Jayne Ludlow (Football)
Kelly Morgan (Badminton)
Lynne Thomas (Cricket / Hockey)
Rhodri Morgan Memorial Award – The ‘Rhodri’
City of Cardiff
Peter Corrigan Welsh Sports Media Award
Steve Bale (Sunday Times)
