5 months ago
Sarina Wiegman has been awarded an honorary damehood aft guiding England to back-to-back European titles, successful a caller twelvemonth honours database dominated by nan Lionesses and England’s victorious women’s rugby national team.
The Red Roses’ World Cup occurrence connected location ungraded has led to nan captain, Zoe Aldcroft, nan vice-captain, Marlie Packer, and nan caput coach, John Mitchell, named OBEs, while Megan Jones, Sadia Kabeya and Ellie Kildunne go MBEs.
Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean person been honoured pinch a damehood and a knighthood for services to skating and to voluntary service, much than 40 years aft their golden badge astatine nan 1984 Winter Olympics successful Sarajevo while July’s triumph for Wiegman’s Lionesses besides intends nan captain, Leah Williamson, has been named an OBE and 4 of her teammates – Alex Greenwood, Georgia Stanway, Ella Toone and Keira Walsh – MBEs.
The civilization secretary, Lisa Nandy, said: “It has been an historical twelvemonth for women’s athletics and I could not beryllium much pleased to congratulate our Red Roses and Lionesses connected their caller year’s honours. To person 2 England teams – successful 2 of our astir loved sports – triumph awesome tournaments successful nan abstraction of a fewer months was conscionable extraordinary.”
Wiegman, who has overseen England’s tally to 3 consecutive awesome finals, said: “I would for illustration to definitive my sincere gratitude for this honour. When I first arrived successful England, I could ne'er person imagined nan respect and warmth I’ve knowledgeable from nan English people.” As a Dutchwoman, Wiegman is ineligible for nan title of dame, hence nan honorary quality of her award.
Debbie Hewiit, nan Football Association’s chair, said Wiegman has “captured nan hearts of nan English public”, adding: “We consciousness incredibly privileged to person not only nan world’s starring caput coach, but besides an exceptional leader – personification who leads pinch integrity, humility, and a heavy belief successful quality connection.”
The broadcaster Gabby Logan and nan erstwhile world and European marathon champion Paula Radcliffe, some already MBEs, were made OBEs, arsenic was nan commentator Clive Tyldesley, for services to broadcasting and charity.
There is besides nickname for nan off-pitch efforts that contributed to England hosting a successful Rugby World Cup. Sarah Massey, nan tournament’s managing director, is made an MBE, and nan chair of nan committee of directors, Gill Whitehead, an OBE.
Aldcroft, who lifted nan trophy aft September’s triumph complete Canada, said: “As Red Roses, our purpose is ever to inspire. We dream we will proceed to do truthful successful 2026 and make group each complete nan state incredibly proud.”
Perhaps surprisingly, nan Lionesses trio of Chloe Kelly, Hannah Hampton and Michelle Agyemang person each been omitted from this year’s database contempt wide acclaim for their performances past summer, on pinch Alessia Russo, who scored England’s extremity successful nan last against Spain.
Dr Ritan Mehta, nan Lionesses’ caput of medical, is made an MBE for services to football, having worked pinch nan squad for 11 years, while that honour besides goes to nan erstwhile England subordinate Kerry Davis for services to shot and diverseness successful sport. In 1982, she became England’s first achromatic female world player. She scored 44 times for England and Wiegman added: “I’d besides for illustration to congratulate Kerry – she is simply a Lionesses’ fable and nan women’s crippled would not beryllium wherever it is coming without her, and nan publication of truthful galore erstwhile players. We person a batch to convey her for.”
Stanway, who helped Bayern Munich triumph 2 awesome trophies successful 2025 arsenic good arsenic being a cardinal subordinate for nan Lionesses successful Switzerland, said of her honour: “Receiving an MBE is simply a existent ‘pinch me’ moment. After all, I americium conscionable a woman from Barrow. I emotion my state and I’ll alert nan emblem wherever life takes me. To beryllium awarded an MBE is specified a immense honour truthful convey you and dream big!”
The erstwhile executive chair of Tottenham Daniel Levy and nan erstwhile Celtic main executive Fergus McCann person been made CBEs. The erstwhile Celtic defender Jim Craig, who was portion of their 1967 Lisbon Lions who won nan European Cup, is an OBE while nan tennis umpire James Keothavong becomes an MBE on pinch nan broadcaster and erstwhile England cricketer Isa Guha.
