Deborah Griffin, Sue Dorrington, Alice D. Cooper and Mary Forsyth are four players among six to be inducted into this year’s World Rugby Hall of fame. They are being inducted due to their significant role in starting the inaugural women’s Rugby World Cup, which took place in Wales in 1991. The award will be presented to them during the World Cup set to kick off in New Zealand this Saturday. They will be presented to the crowds during the semi-finals at Eden Park.

The first Rugby World Cup was hosted in Wales and consisted of twelve teams and took place from the 6th – 14th of April. It saw USA crowned champions after beating England in the final. It was a tournament that would place Women’s rugby on the world stage and set the benchmark for future tournaments.

Deborah Griffin will become hall of fame inductee No.155, joining an illustrious list of representatives for the sport. Her rugby life started at the University College of London against King’s college. This led to them challenging more universities to play against them, further increasing the sport’s reach. She was part of the Richmond team that went on a nine-match unbeaten tour of New Zealand in 1989. This tour sparked the desire for the World Cup to be set up. She was one of the WRFU founding members. She was chosen to be the chair of the organising committee for the World Cup. Since then, she has been part of the 2010 World Cup committee and oversaw the induction of the Tyrell’s Premier 15s. However, with all that she has devoted to the game, she isn’t done yet. Deborah believes the game has a long way to go. She wants to ensure that the sport’s popularity continues to spread across nations where it lacks popularity.

Sue Dorrington taking the hall of fame inductee No.156 spot, started her rugby life across the pond in the United States. Originally born in Minnesota, Dorrington moved to England to follow rugby. Alongside her fellow inductees, she represented Richmond. She was the only Richmond player to ever play across three decades for the club and missed only one game. She was Richmond’s first female vice president. Her role for the tournament was to become the commercial manager due to her background in sponsorship and commercial contracts. She started at hooker for England’s opening game against Spain and held this spot to the final.

Alice D.Cooper is hall of fame inductee No.157. Born in Scotland, she had grown up in a rugby family with her uncle Philip representing Middlesex and even captaining the side as well as playing for Roslyn Park. Her journey into the Richmond team came by a chance meeting with two team members who believed her height would benefit the team. Writing for Rugby World at the time meant that she was the perfect person for the role of press officer for the World Cup, producing all the coverage for the tournament. Created team sheets, match reports and printed the programmes. In a recent interview with Nick Heath for World Rugby, she even revealed that she had a relation to a fellow sporting hall of fame inductee, Charlotte Cooper Sterry, who has won Wimbledon a total of five times.

Mary Forsyth is the final Richmond player to be inducted at No.158. Born in Pittsburgh in the United States, she found her love for rugby at Penn State University. Moving across to England in 1985, Finchley was her first club, followed by a move to Richmond. Her background in accounting made her the perfect fit to set up the World Cup’s financial department. Mary was the Richmond women’s captain, where she led the team to a national league title as well as a National 7’s title.

They will be inducted alongside former New Zealand hooker and World Cup winner Fiao’o Fa’amausili as well as Inaugural World Cup winner Kathy Flores.

For more information go to Rugby World Cup's Article.