NEWPORT rugby legend Arthur Gould is to be inducted into World Rugby’s Hall of Fame this week alongside fellow Welsh greats Shane Williams and John Dawes.

England trio Jeremy Guscott, Jonny Wilkinson and Lawrence Dallaglio are also on the list of 12 inductees for 2016, as is Ireland great Brian O’Driscoll.

The dozen will be honoured at a special ceremony in Rugby on Thursday, with Gould’s name now alongside the likes of Gareth Edwards, Barry John and Phil Bennett in the Hall of Fame.

Gould, widely recognised as the first superstar of Welsh rugby, captained his country on 18 occasions and won 27 caps in total between 1885 and 1897.

One of three brothers to play for Wales, he led the team to their maiden Home Nations championship and Triple Crown in 1893.

He had made his Newport debut at the age of 18 and scored a club record 37 tries during the 1893/94 season – his final tally was 159 in 231 games from 1882-99.

Gould, nicknamed ‘Monkey’ for his childhood fondness for climbing trees, was a talented individual and described as “the most accomplished player of his generation”.

Due to his job as a public contractor, the full-back-turned-centre also played club rugby for London Welsh, Richmond and Southampton Trojans, while he also represented Middlesex and Hampshire.

Gould fell ill at work on January 2, 1919 and died later that day of an internal haemorrhage. He was 54.

The full list of World Rugby Hall of Fame inductees (with induction number and country) is: Brian O’Driscoll (121, Ireland), Shane Williams (122, Wales), Jeremy Guscott (123, England), Lawrence Dallaglio (124, England), Heather Moyse (125, Canada), John Dawes (126, Wales), GPS Macpherson (127, Scotland), Arthur Gould (128, Wales), Jonny Wilkinson (129, England), Daniel Carroll (130, Australia and USA), Daisuke Ohata (131, Japan) and Maggie Alphonsi (132, England).