Sue Day leads five-strong World Rugby Hall of Fame class of 2026

Sue Day, England’s record try-scorer with 61 tries across a 10-year Red Roses career, has been named among five new World Rugby Hall of Fame inductees for 2026, joining a class that spans three decades of the women’s and men’s game.

Day’s tally of 61 international tries — including 19 across three Women’s Rugby World Cups — is surpassed only by New Zealand’s Portia Woodman-Wickliffe. She also captained England to one of the three Women’s Six Nations titles won during her playing career.

Since retiring from the pitch, Day’s influence on the sport has continued to grow. She became the first female president of Wasps FC and, as RFU Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer from 2017, played a central role in securing the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 and establishing Premiership Women’s Rugby. She was appointed an MBE for services to gender equality in sport in 2020 and has served as director of women’s football at the Football Association since 2024.

Day will be inducted alongside USA Women’s Eagles legend Jen Crawford at the WXV Global Series 2026 match between the USA and England in New York on 30 October. Crawford was part of the USA side that won the first-ever Women’s Rugby World Cup in 1991. The following day, three-time Women’s Rugby World Cup winner Rochelle Martin will be inducted ahead of the Black Ferns’ Test against France.

On the men’s side, France’s Abdelatif Benazzi — a 78-cap international across 11 years — will be inducted at the World Rugby Council dinner on 17 November. Diego Dominguez, who represented both Argentina and Italy across a 14-year Test career, will receive his honour at one of Italy’s Men’s Six Nations matches against France or Wales.

The five new inductees bring the full Hall of Fame class of 2026 to seven, with Joel Staransky and Zinzan Brooke having been named earlier.

World Rugby Chair Brett Robinson said: “On behalf of the global rugby family, I would like to congratulate Jen, Sue, Rochelle, Diego and Abdel on their richly deserved inductions. They have each made their mark on our sport, not only on the pitch but also off it.”

Hall of Fame panel chair John Eales added that the inductees “represent the very best of our sport with extraordinary talent matched by humility, leadership and an unwavering commitment” to the game.