New Year Honours 2024: 13 sports stars on list including trio from England women's team

New Year Honours 2024: 13 sports stars on list including trio from England women's team

Watch now: Mary Earps wins SPOTY

Stuart Ballard

By Stuart Ballard


Published: 30/12/2023

- 11:05

Updated: 30/12/2023

- 11:59

The New Year Honours list has been announced with a handful of sports stars being rewarded.

Three Lionesses as well as Stuart Broad and ex-rugby league players Rob Burrow and Kevin Sinfield are among a host of sports stars to feature on the 2024 New Year Honours list.

Both Sinfield and Burrow have been recognised for their work in raising awareness of motor neurone disease.


Sinfield has raised more than £15m since his close friend and former Leeds Rhinos team-mate Burrow was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2019.

Broad, who retired from cricket after the Ashes in July, has also been appointed a CBE while former England cricketer Marcus Trescothick will become an OBE.

Six sports stars feature on the New Year Honours list

Six sports stars feature on the New Year Honours list

PA

They're joined on the list by Lionesses trio Millie Bright, Mary Earps and Lauren Hemp.

Bright captained the England women's team to the final of this year's World Cup and has been appointed an OBE.

Earps, who won this year's Sports Personality of the Year award, joins Hemp in becoming an MBE.

England icon Peter Shilton has been appointed a CBE while former Scotland manager Alex McLeish has become an OBE.

World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont has also been recognised as an OBE while former Scotland rugby star Stuart Hogg wil receive an MBE.

Olympic gymnasts Becky and Ellie Downie have also been recognised with MBEs for services to gymnastics.

Helen Housby, who helped England make history in reaching their first netball World Cup final earlier this year and was named player of the tournament, has been awarded an MBE.

Bright, who got engaged to her partner Levi Crew on Christmas Day, admitted to being taken by surprise to learn that she was going to be made an OBE.

“Gobsmacked," Bright said when asked how she reacted.

"It’s something you never imagined, something that never crossed my mind," Bright said.

“Levi opened the letter for me because I was at training. He saw what it was straight away and he was like ‘oh my God, I’ve got to tell her’.

"So he sent me a message saying ‘you’ve got a letter, it’s really important’.

Kevin Sinfield carried Rob Burrow over the line at the London Marathon

Kevin Sinfield carried Rob Burrow over the line at the London Marathon

PA

“I thought ‘oh God, what have I done? Am I in trouble again? It’s probably a parking fine or something like that.

“It’s something that you treasure forever and you can tell your kids and grandkids (about). It’s something to be proud of.

“Everyone in my family sacrificed so much for me to be where I am. So whenever I win anything or get awarded something, it really is for more than just me.

Lauren Hemp, Mary Earps and Millie Bright have been recognised

Lauren Hemp, Mary Earps and Millie Bright have been recognised

PA

"That’s why I love playing in a team sport, because without everyone else you wouldn’t be the person or the player you are.”

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