2019 NSW Hall of Champions Announcement

Richie Benaud to be elevated to NSW Sport Legend status

Former Australian Test cricket captain, Richie Benaud, will be officially recognised as a Legend of NSW Sport at the prestigious NSW Champions of Sport Ceremony at The Star Sydney on Monday, November 18.

Benaud becomes the 22nd NSW athlete and the fourth cricketer to be elevated to NSW Legend Status. The three other cricket Legends are Sir Donald Bradman AO OBE, and Benaud’s former NSW and Australian team-mates, Keith Miller AM MBE, and Arthur Morris MBE.

Benaud, a crafty leg spinning all-rounder, made his Test debut against the West Indies at the SCG in 1952 and went on to play 63 Tests for Australia, including 28 as captain.

Shoulder trouble forced him to retire aged 33 in 1963-64. He was the first player to reach 2,000 runs and 200 wickets in Test cricket.

His cricket legacy spanned nearly 70 years as he enjoyed a glittering media career post his playing retirement as a celebrated cricket broadcaster, journalist and author.

The Awards ceremony will also see six NSW sports greats inducted into the NSW Hall of Champions.

They are;

• Bradley Clyde AM (Rugby League) - Widely acknowledged as the best lock forward in the game, Bradley Clyde played 21 Tests for Australia, 214 Premiership and 14 State of Origin matches between 1988 and 2000. He played 11 seasons with the Canberra Raiders, including three Grand Finals. He was named in Rugby League’s 100 Greatest Players, in the NSW Country Team of the Century, a 1990s Team of the Decade, and chosen as one of the 25 greatest players for NSW.

• John Holt OAM (Surf Life Saving) – John Holt dominated surf lifesaving’s Iron Man competition in the 1970s. In a 10-year career, John competed in 123 Iron Man races, with 95 wins, 11 second and eight third places. John was an outstanding competitor in all surf disciplines winning over 100 championship medals in surf, board, Iron Man and R and R. He represented Australia four times at World Championships, winning three gold and a bronze.

• Lauren Jackson AO (Basketball) - Regarded as the best female basketball player in the world, Lauren Jackson leaves behind a legacy as a four-time Olympic medalist and an MVP on four continents. With a playing career spanning 1997-2016, Lauren debuted for the Opals when she was just 16.  She was Opals captain from 2008 to 2013 and won three consecutive Olympic silver medals between 2000 and 2008 and bronze in 2012. At World Championships, she won two bronze medals and in 2006, a gold medal, the same year she won gold at the Commonwealth Games.

• Brent Livermore OAM (Hockey) - With medals in two Olympic Games, three Commonwealth Games, 10 Champions Trophies and three World Cups, Brent Livermore is one of Australia’s best hockey players of all time. Between 1997 and 2010, he won 318 international caps, 67 as captain, and scored 29 international goals. After winning bronze at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, Brent made history when captaining Australia to its first men’s hockey gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics and also added Commonwealth Games gold medals in 1998, 2002 and 2006.

• Cheryl Salisbury (Football) - Cheryl Salisbury is one of Australia’s greatest women’s football players. She represented Australia as a defender between 1994 and 2009, with 151 international caps and scored 38 goals. Cheryl played in four FIFA Women’s World Cups, including the Matildas first in 1995, and two as captain. Cheryl competed at two Olympic Games - 2000 and 2004. In 2000, as vice-captain of Australia’s first ever Olympic team, she scored Australia’s first ever goal at an Olympic Games. She was named in FIFA Women's World XI squad in 2004 and 2007.

• Lisa Sthalekar (Cricket) - Lisa Sthalekar finished a distinguished International career in women’s cricket as the leading all-rounder in the world. A talented off-spinner and a hard-hitting batter, she managed 229 wickets and 3,913 runs, including three centuries, across 187 Test, One-Day and T20 matches. She made her international debut in 2001 in a One Day International against England and went on to become the first woman to score 1,000 runs and take 100 wickets in ODIs. Lisa played in 54 Women’s T20 International matches, winning two World Cups in 2010 and 2012. She was made a life member of Cricket NSW in 2017.

Since 1979, 377 sportsmen and women representing 55 sports have been added to the NSW Hall of Champions Roll of Honour.

Sporting icons such as Bradman, Dawn Fraser, Shane Gould and Dally Messenger are included in this prestigious list. More recent champions include Ian Thorpe, Layne Beachley and Michael O’Loughlin.

The gala Ceremony dinner will also celebrate the achievements of NSW athletes, coaches, administrators and organisations across 13 Award-winning categories including Athlete of the Year and Athlete of the Year with a Disability.

Click here for more information about the 2019 NSW Sports Awards >

The NSW Hall of Champions is located at Quaycentre at Sydney Olympic Park.

Should you require any assistance or further information, please contact:

Booking Enquiries / Changes
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Jessica Schwartz
02 8736 1239
info@sportnsw.com.au