New Year Honours 2024: England Lionesses and Stuart Broad among sporting figures recognised

Members of England’s Lionesses squad and former cricketer Stuart Broad are among the sporting figures recognised in the New Year Honours.

Millie Bright, England’s captain at the World Cup, is appointed an OBE, while Mary Earps and Lauren Hemp become MBEs.

Broad, who retired after the Ashes in July, has been appointed a CBE.

Former Leeds and England rugby league players Rob Burrow and Kevin Sinfield have become CBEs for services to motor neurone disease (MND) awareness.

The pair have helped raise more than £15m for MND charities since Burrow was diagnosed with the disease in 2019.
Having announced he would retire after the fifth Ashes Test in July, Broad had a fairytale ending by scoring a six with his last ball as a batter and taking the final wicket of the match to give England victory and secure a 2-2 series draw.

He finished his career with 604 Test wickets, placing him fifth on the all-time list and behind only long-time England team-mate James Anderson among fast bowlers. He is also one of only 10 men in history to score more than 3,000 runs and take 300 wickets at Test level.

Recognition in the New Year Honours completes another successful year for the Lionesses, who followed up their 2022 European Championship success by reaching their first World Cup final in August, where they were beaten 1-0 by Spain.

The honours for Bright, Earps and Hemp follow the recognition of several Lionesses in the the 2023 New Year Honours, with captain Leah Williamson appointed an OBE and Lucy Bronze, Beth Mead and the now retired Ellen White becoming MBEs.

“I’m so gobsmacked,” Bright told BBC Sport. “I don’t think it’ll sink in for a long time – it’s an honour that you never ever expect to be given. Just really proud.”

Manchester United goalkeeper Earps also followed Mead in being named BBC Sports Personality of the Year earlier this month.

Other honours from the football world include former Leeds manager and League Managers Association chair Howard Wilkinson, who is made an OBE for services to football and charity. Former England goalkeeper Peter Shilton becomes a CBE for services to football and the prevention of gambling harm, while Sanjay Bhandari and Troy Townsend of anti-discrimination organisation Kick It Out become MBEs.

Former McLaren chief executive Ron Dennis has been knighted for services to industry and charity, while Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has been appointed a CBE.

World Rugby chair and former England captain Sir Bill Beaumont is appointed Knight Grand Cross for services to rugby union and charity.

Among those also becoming OBEs are Great Britain Olympic champion hockey goalkeeper Maddie Hinch for services to hockey, and former England cricketer and Professional Cricketers’ Association mental health ambassador Marcus Trescothick.

Becoming MBEs are gymnasts Becky and Ellie Downie, race walker Tom Bosworth, former Scotland rugby union international Stuart Hogg and England netball international Helen Housby.

Sports presenter Hazel Irvine has become an MBE for services to sport and charity. Fellow broadcaster Jeff Stelling becomes an MBE for services to sport, broadcasting and charity.

New Year Honours list for sports
Knight Grand Cross

Sir Bill Beaumont (World Rugby chair and former England captain), for service to rugby union and charity

Knighthood

Ron Dennis (former McLaren chief executive, Podium Analytics chair and Tommy’s Campaign patron), for services to industry and charity

Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)

Stuart Broad (former England cricketer), for services to cricket

Rob Burrow (former Leeds and England rugby league player), for services to motor neurone disease awareness

Bill Bush (Premier League senior advisor) for services to sport

Christian Horner (Red Bull team principal), for services to motorsport

Peter Shilton (former England goalkeeper), for service to football and the prevention of gambling harm

Kevin Sinfield (former Leeds and England rugby league player), for services to motor neurone disease awareness

Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)

Millie Bright (England and Chelsea footballer), for services to football

Janie Frampton (former football referee and referee manger), for services to equality for women in sport in the UK and abroad

Maddie Hinch (GB Olympic champion hockey goalkeeper), for services to hockey

Alex McLeish (former Scotland manager) for services to charity

Keith Morgan (Crystal Palace Weightlifting Club coach) for services to sport

Julian Richmond-Watson (Thoroughbred Breeders Association chair) for services to British horseracing

Ralph Rimmer (former Rugby Football League chief executive), for services to rugby league

Ruth Shaw (Premier League charitable fund CEO) for services to football and gender equality

Marcus Trescothick (former England cricketer and Professional Cricketers’ Association mental health ambassador), for services to mental ill health

Vinai Venkatesham (Arsenal chief executive), for services to sport

Rob Wainwright (former Scotland international rugby union player and Doddie Aid founder), for voluntary and charitable services to the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation

Howard Wilkinson (League Managers Association chair), for services to football and charity

Christine Windmill (Tennis Scotland honorary vice-president), for services to tennis

Members of the Order of the British Empire

Lynda Bennett, for services to hockey in Wales

Sanjay Bhandari (Kick It Out chair), for services to sport

Tony Bloom (Brighton and Hove Albion chair), for services to football and the community in Brighton

Tom Bosworth (Olympic race walker), for services to race walking

Chris Bryant (Football Association director of tournaments and events), for services to sport

Robert Christie (Scotland Paralympic Lawn Bowls head coach), for services to lawn bowls

Francis Donnelly, for services to Disability Sport and to the community in Northern Ireland

Becky Downie (Olympic gymnast), for services to gymnasts and gymnastics

Ellie Downie (former Olympic gymnast), for services to gymnasts and gymnastics

Mary Earps (England and Manchester United goalkeeper), for services to football

David Finlay, for services to Olympic Wrestling in Northern Ireland

Kelly Fisher (professional pool, snooker and English billiards player) for services to sport

Lauren Hemp (England and Manchester City forward), for service to football

Ian Hewitt (former All England Lawn Tennis Club chair), for services to tennis and charity

Stuart Hogg (former Scotland international), for services to rugby union

Helen Housby (England international), for services to netball

Joslyn Hoyte-Smith (GB Olympians Association chair), for services to athletics

Hazel Irvine (sports presenter), for services to sport and charity

Leslie Irvine (Irish Football Association international referee assessor), for services to football

Richard Linley (British Horseracing Authority senior inspector of courses) for services to horseracing

Miriam Luke (Henley Rowing Club president and Olympic silver medallist), for services to women’s rowing

Robert McVeigh, for services to the Commonwealth Games in Northern Ireland

Elinor Middlemiss (Scotland Commonwealth Games chef de mission), for services to sport

Jeff Powell (Daily Mail sports writer and columnist) for services to journalism and sport

Jeff Stelling (broadcaster), for services to sport, broadcasting and charity

Troy Townsend (Kick It Out head of player engagement), for services to diversity and inclusion in football

Robin Varley (Cricket Wales North Area Board chair) for services to cricket in Wales

Medal of the order of the British Empire

Bronwin Carter (Paralympic coach and 11 times weightlifting world champion) for services to sport