King's Birthday Honours: Sarah Hunter and Ian Wright among those included

Split graphic image of Sarah Alice Hunter and Ian WrightBBC Sport

Sarah Hunter and Ian Wright are among a number of sports personalities named in the King's Birthday Honours

Former England rugby union captain Sarah Hunter and ex-footballer Ian Wright are among those named in the King's Birthday Honours list.

Hunter, who retired in March with a record 141 caps, has been given a CBE for her services to rugby union.

Ex-Arsenal and England striker Wright, a BBC Sport pundit, becomes an OBE for services to football and charity.

World Netball president and ex-UK Sport chief executive Liz Nicholl has been made a Dame for her services to sport.

"It has been a real privilege to serve in various roles in sport over the last 40-plus years, working alongside really talented colleagues, and I take huge delight in seeing the recent significant growth in opportunities for women and girls to enjoy participating in sport, both in the UK and internationally," said Nicholl.

"I feel incredibly privileged to have now been awarded the honour of becoming a Dame."

Paying tribute to their former player, Arsenal tweeted: "For all the dedication and unwavering support for the men's and women's game, this is an honour truly befitting of the man."

Hunter, who won the Rugby World Cup in 2014, said: "I feel very honoured to have been awarded a CBE.

"Rugby for women and girls is in such a different place to when I first started playing and it's been so exciting to be part of that change and growth".

Rugby referee Sara Cox has been awarded an MBE for her services to the game. Cox became the first female referee centrally contracted in the world in 2016, was the first female to referee a Premiership league and cup game and has refereed at three Rugby World Cups.

Former England forward and broadcaster Eniola Aluko, who won 102 caps for the Lionesses, has been made an MBE for her services to football and charity.

Darts player Fallon Sherrock made history in 2019 by becoming the first woman to win a match at the PDC World Championship and is made an MBE for her services to her sport.

Other influential women to be honoured include former World Triathlon champion Non Stanford, who becomes an MBE for services to triathlon in Wales.

Referee Amy Fearn has been made an MBE for her services to football.

In 2010, she became the first woman to officiate a men's England Football League (EFL) match when she replaced the injured Tony Bates for the final 20 minutes of Coventry City's game against Nottingham Forest.

Former England cricketer and four-time Ashes winner Lydia Greenway becomes an OBE, while England's 2022 T20 World Cup winners Sam Curran and Adil Rashid become MBEs, all for their services to cricket.

Australia and French Open wheelchair tennis doubles winners Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid are also included in the list of OBEs, while fellow wheelchair tennis player and three-time Paralympic medallist Lucy Shuker receives a British Empire Medal.

"I never would have dreamed that I'd receive something like this in my lifetime," said Hewett, who has also won seven Grand Slam singles titles.

"I just get my head down and work hard in the sport that I love, so I'm extremely proud and grateful for this, and everyone who has helped me get to where I am today.

"It's amazing to see wheelchair tennis and disability sport get this level of recognition. It's so vital in encouraging people with disabilities to be active and to just be creating a more inclusive society."

England won the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup last year and captain Tom Halliwell has been made an OBE, while team-mate Sebastien Bechara and coach Tom Coyd have become MBEs.

Former Scotland footballer John Greig made more than 700 appearances for Rangers and has become a CBE.

Northern Ireland and Leicester City defender Jonny Evans, who has won 100 caps, has been made an MBE for his services to football in Northern Ireland.

"When I got the letter through the door and it had the royal seal on the back I was a bit shocked, but it was also amazing," said Evans.

"It made me feel very proud, especially when I saw that it was in recognition of my contribution to association football in Northern Ireland."

The King's Birthday Honours list for sport

Damehood

Elizabeth Mary Nicholl (president, World Netball), for services to sport

Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)

John Greig, (former footballer) for services to football and to the community in Scotland

Sarah Alice Hunter (former England rugby union captain), for services to rugby union

Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)

Anthony Keith Atherton, for services to disability sport and to inclusion

Pippa Britton (lately vice-chair, UK Anti-Doping and vice-chair Sport Wales), for services to sport

David Philip Clarke, (chief executive, British Paralympic Association), for services to Paralympic sport

Jonathan Michael Dutton, (chief executive, Rugby League World Cup), for services to rugby

Lydia Greenway (founder, Cricket for Girls and former cricket player), for services to cricket

David Roger Griffiths, for services to football in Wales

Thomas Edward Halliwell (England wheelchair rugby league captain), for services to wheelchair rugby league

Alfie Thomas Hewett (wheelchair tennis player), for services to tennis

Christopher John Jenkins (lately chief executive, Commonwealth Games Wales), for services to the Commonwealth Games and sport in Wales

Gordon James Reid (wheelchair tennis player), for services to tennis

Ian Edward Wright (broadcaster and author), for services to football and charity

Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)

Eniola Aluko (broadcaster and former footballer), for services to football and charity

Sebastien Joseph Bechara (wheelchair rugby player), for services to wheelchair rugby league

Colin Francis Bland (chief executive, Sporting Chance), for services to sport

Sara Louise Cox (referee), for services to rugby union

Thomas Dillon Coyd (coach, England wheelchair rugby league team), for services to wheelchair rugby league

Samuel Matthew Curran (cricket player), for services to cricket

Niall William Andrew Elliott (head of sports medicine - sportscotland Institute of Sport, and chief medical officer, British Olympic Association), for services to sports and exercise medicine

Jonathan Grant Evans (footballer), for services to football in Northern Ireland

Amy Elizabeth Fearn (referee), for services to football

Emma Elizabeth Fry (Emma Bristow) (motorcyclist), for services to motor sports and women in sport

John Parry Griffiths (coach, British Canoeing), for services to canoeing and paddlesport

Ian Philip Howard (vice president, World Triathlon), for services to triathlon

Gareth Lloyd Jones, for services to sport and exercise medicine in Wales

Hannah McGarry McLachlan (Anna Marshall), for services to lawn bowls

Maria Teresa McLoughlin (chair, Women's Artistic Gymnastics technical committee, British Gymnastics), for services to gymnastics

David William Pond (lately chief executive, Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby), for services to wheelchair rugby

Adil Rashid (cricket player), for services to cricket

Ian Malcolm Rogers (athletics official), for services to athletics

Fallon Suzanne Michelle Sherrock (darts player), for services to darts

Colin Shields (former ice hockey player), for services to ice hockey

James Simpson (former rugby league player), for services to wheelchair rugby league

Non Rhiannydd Stanford (former triathlete), for services to triathlon in Wales

Susan Taylor (chair, British Amateur Rugby League Association and vice-president, Rugby Football League), for services to rugby league

British Empire Medal (BEM)

Richard Menzies Campbell (manager, Arbroath Football Club), for services to football and the community in Angus

Albert Duffus, for services to boxing, to veterans and to charity in Inverness-shire, Aberdeenshire and Moray

Rebecca Elizabeth Sarah Edwards (rower), for services to rowing

John Leslie Stuart Griffiths (coach, Swansea Harriers Athletics Club), for services to athletics in Wales

Lindsay Martin Hedmann (trampolining coach), for services to trampolining

Sian Margaret Johnson, for services to squash in Wales

Anthony Charles Kingston (scorer), for services to cricket

Stuart James Langworthy (manager, England Over-60s Walking Football Team), for services to football and walking football

Elaine Shallcross (pickleball player, coach, administrator and International Federation of Pickleball ambassador), for services to pickleball

Lucy Jessica Shuker (Paralympic wheelchair tennis player), for services to sport

Bryan Frederick Smith (coach), for services to athletics

Mildred Wiltshire (chief marshal coordinator, British Motorsport), for services to motorsport

Catherine Margaret Wynne (volunteer international technical official, International Canoe Federation and European Canoe Association), for services to sport