Two New Zealand women have been added to the IRB rugby Hall of Fame.
World Cup winners Anna Richards and Farah Palmer were a part of 15 former players to be honoured in London.
Former Black Ferns rugby player Anna Richards. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Richards is a four-time World Cup winner and holds the New Zealand record of 49 caps.
Palmer led the Black Ferns to three World Cup titles.
"Anna and Farah are fantastic ambassadors for rugby and superb athletes," said New Zealand Rugby Chief Executive Steve Tew.
"They have paved the way for female rugby players not just in New Zealand, they have also inspired rugby players from around the world."
"They deserve to be in the Hall of Fame alongside their New Zealand male counterparts, like Michael Jones, John Kirwan and Grant Fox," he said.
Richards was a Black Fern from 1990 to 2010 and played in four Rugby World Cups.
She has 37 caps to her name and is currently head coach of the Hong Kong Women's Sevens team.
"It's a bit of a surprise but a great honour to be acknowledged in such a way by the IRB," said Richards.
"I was fortunate enough to play in some really great Black Fern teams who were dominant over a number of years."
Farah Palmer was a Black Fern from 1996 to 2006 and under her captaincy, the national side lost only one match.
Farah played in three Rugby World Cups, earning 35 caps.
Dr Palmer is a a member of the New Zealand Maori Rugby Board and a senior lecture at Massey University's School of Management.
In August former All Blacks Grant Fox, Graham Mourie, Fred Allen, Sir John Kirwan, Ian Kirkpatrick, Michael Jones, Sean Fitzpatrick, Don Clarke, George Nepia, Sir Colin Meads and former Herald journalist Sir T P McLean were inducted into the Hall of Fame.