Hosted by sports broadcaster Tanya Arnold at the university’s flagship Carnegie School of Sport, the event welcomed a number of high-profile inductees, including Olympic triathlon champion Alistair Brownlee OBE; Emily Campbell, the first British woman to win an Olympic medal in weightlifting, and Leeds Rhinos legend Jamie Jones-Buchanan MBE.
The Hall of Fame celebrates Leeds Beckett University’s sporting legacy, recognising individuals who have made a lasting impact across disciplines including football, rugby league and rugby union, athletics and paralympic sport, as well as aiming to inspire the next generation of stars.
Other inductees included rugby league and Leeds Rhinos icon Kevin Sinfield OBE, and Olympic and world triathlon champion Alex Yee. Take a look at the photos below...
1. Jamie Jones-Buchanan MBE
Jamie Jones-Buchanan MBE is a former professional rugby league player and played his entire professional career with Leeds Rhinos, winning seven Super League Grand Finals, alongside Rob Burrow and Kevin Sinfield. He was recently appointed as the club's Chief Executive Officer. | Submit
2. Yona Knight-Wisdom
Born in Leeds, Yona Knight-Wisdom represents Jamaica internationally. He competed at the 2016, 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics. He was the first Jamaican male diver and first Caribbean male diver at an Olympic Games. | Submit
3. Sir Ian Robert McGeechan OBE
Sir Ian Robert McGeechan OBE is an rugby union player, coach and teacher. Born in Leeds, McGeechan represented Headingley as his only club during a 15-year club career and played 32 times internationally for Scotland. | Submit
4. Rebecca Foster MBE
Rebecca Foster MBE is a Principal Lecturer in Adapted PE and a Senior Fellow of the HEA. She has been a key player in the development of sporting opportunities for disabled people and women. | Submit
5. Howard Wells OBE
Howard Wells OBE has dedicated over 50 years to the field of sport and recreation management. In 1969, he became the first Carnegie student to be elected President of the City of Leeds and Carnegie College Students’ Union. | Submit
6. Paul Heckingbottom
Paul Heckingbottom is a football manager, coach and a former professional footballer. In a seventeen-year professional career he played 419 times across several teams including Sunderland, Norwich City, Bradford City, Sheffield Wednesday and Barnsley. | Submit