The first International Rugby League Hall of Legends class includes 42 players from eight nations: 10 pre-1954 greats, six women and 26 men from the post-1954 era.
IRL chairman Troy Grant established the Hall earlier this year to recognise outstanding contributions on the international stage.
Its inaugural inductees include Brisbane Broncos greats Darren Lockyer, Wally Lewis, Petero Civoniceva and Ali Brigginshaw, named on Thursday night.
Lewis made his Test debut in 1981 and captained Australia from 1984 to 1989.
Lockyer debuted for Australia in 1997, became the fourth Queenslander to captain the Kangaroos and finished with 63 international appearances.
Pacific rugby league pioneer Civoniceva played 45 Tests for Australia, then made six appearances for Fiji and captained the nation in 2013.
Brigginshaw retired after the 2026 NRLW season. She became the longest-serving Jillaroo, making 29 appearances for Australia after her 2009 debut across more than 15 years.
Grant said the inductees' impact extended beyond the field, benefiting the game and shaping the memories of fans worldwide.
"The inaugural IRL Hall of Legends Inductees are a special group of players and a real who's who of International Rugby League.
Grant said the nominees were exceptional and that more inductions would follow. "The list of nominees was exceptional and there will be further inductions to come into the IRL Hall of Legends. We simply couldn't induct every deserving nominee at the first attempt; their recognition will come."