WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Rugby World Cup-winning All Blacks coach Graham Henry is now officially Sir Graham after being invested with the knighthood he was awarded for leading New Zealand to its first Cup victory in 24 years.
New Zealand Governor General Sir Jerry Mateparae lightly tapped the kneeling Henry on each shoulder with a sword to confer the knighthood at a ceremony in Wellington on Thursday.
The audience included Henry’s 94-year-old mother, Ann, who did not leave her home city of Christchurch for the Rugby World Cup final last October but made her first trip in seven years to see her son knighted.
Henry said “Mum’s a royalist and she will love it.”
