Rugby Players Ireland has announced that Niamh Briggs, Rory Best and John Muldoon will be inducted into the Heineken Rugby Players Ireland Hall of Fame at a special lunch in the InterContinental Dublin on Friday, 6 November.

Since 2003, the Hall of Fame has recognised those who have made an outstanding contribution to Irish rugby.

While on-field achievement is taken into account, they also celebrate the influence the players have had on their teammates, the wider game and the community.

This year’s inductees represent three remarkable careers, each distinguished by leadership, commitment and an enduring connection to the people and teams they represented.

Niamh Briggs was at the heart of a generation that transformed the fortunes of Irish women’s rugby. 

A key figure in Ireland’s historic 2013 Grand Slam, she was also instrumental in the team’s march to the  2014 Women’s Rugby World Cup semi-final, before going on to captain Ireland to another Six Nations title in 2015.

Across 62 international appearances, Briggs established herself as one of the outstanding players of her era, while her contributions to Munster Rugby and UL Bohemians further cemented her standing in the game.

She has since continued to support the development of women’s rugby through coaching and player development.