Rugby Australia has congratulated the recipients of Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to the sport of Rugby with three new Members of the Order of Australia and two Medal of the Order of Australia.
Wallabies legend Brendan Moon is amongst the Order of Australia recipients, considered one of the greatest ever Australian wingers.
Moon played 35 Tests for the Wallabies between 1978-86, forming a lethal partnership in a backline including Mark Ella, Michael Hawker and Michael O’Connor.
He also played 101 games for the Queensland Reds, and was a member of Brothers Rugby Club’s Team of the Century.
Moon is joined by Robert Fordham AM, who served as an Executive Director of the Australian Rugby Union, and a senior referee for nearly 30 years until 1988, officiating at club, Test and Rugby World Cup levels.
Fordham played a key role in the Australian Rugby organising committee for Rugby World Cup 1991, serving as President and Life Member of the Sydney Rugby Referees Association and Bond Uni Rugby Club.
Fordham and Moon were both awarded the Australian Sports Medal in 2000.
Chair of Rugby Australia’s ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Technical Advisory Committee Geoffrey Stooke rounds out the Order of Australians.
Stooke has been a stalwart of Western Australian Rugby, representing the state from 1975-83 before becoming a directory of WA Rugby in 1985, serving as Chair from 1998-2021 as well as Chairman of the Force from 2005-2011.
Wally Bell and Stanley Gyles are amongst those issued with a Medal of the Order of Australia.
Bell was the Chair and Director of Rugby SA from 2005 until 2014, inducted to the Rugby SA Hall of Fame in 2015.
He remains a life member of the Burnside Rugby Club, starting his playing career in 1971 as he moved into coaching in the 1980s. He also served as President of the club from 2014 until 2019.
Bell is joined by Gyles, who has been a specialist Rugby journalist spanning over 40 years for the likes of Herald Sun, Sunday Herald Sun, The Australian, ABC Radio, sports programs on Seven and Ten, as well as Rugby publications including Rugby Review and Rugby News.
Gyles has served the Victorian Rugby Union and Harlequin Rugby in numerous administrative roles, and is a Life Member of both organisations.
“On behalf of everyone at Rugby Australia – and the broader Rugby community – I want to congratulate Bob Fordham, Brendan Moon, Geoff Stooke, Wally Bell and Stanley Gyles on their Order of Australia honours,” RA CEO Andy Marinos said in a statement.
“Above all, we thank them for their momentous service to the sport that we all love – we greatly appreciate their contributions, and we are proud to see them represent Rugby in the Order of Australia.”
