`Squeaky' polishes clean image the queen's birthday honours

SPORT

The man they call `Squeaky' because of his clean-cut image gave the mickey-takers in the England rugby team yet more ammunition yesterday.

Rob Andrew, the rugby player every mother wants for a son-in-law, was awarded the MBE, on the eve of playing in the World Cup semi-final against New Zealand in Cape Town.

Typically, Andrew, who thrilled the nation with the spectacular injury- time drop-goal which knocked the champions Australia out in the quarter- finals last weekend, turned his first thoughts towards the team on hearing of the award. "I am naturally delighted, and the England boys will be very pleased," the 32-year-old said. "However, I do expect to be heavily fined by the England squad's mock court when they hear about it."

Andrew is England's record points scorer with 378, and the world's most capped player in his position, stand-off, with 67 appearances there for England (he also played once as full-back).

There was another honour for the rugby world, with Bill McLaren, the BBC's leading commentator, being created OBE.

Football took two MBE's - for very different generations. Harry Gregg, the former Manchester United goalkeeper, receives his award 37 years after surviving the Munich air crash, while Peter Beardsley, the doyen of modern professionals, is rewarded while still performing peerlessly for Newcastle United and England.

The top sporting honours, though, went to sea dogs. Robin Knox-Johnston, the round the world sailor, and Peter Blake, the New Zealander who spearheaded his country's successful America's Cup challenge, both received knighthoods. The pair collaborated in breaking the record for the fastest sailing circumnavigation of the world last year. Their time of 74 days 22 hours was somewhat faster than Knox-Johnston's solo effort in the 32ft Suhaili in 1969 - it took him 312 days.

David Broome, the recently retired showjumper, receives a CBE to add the OBE he was awarded back in 1970. Broome, 55, competed in five Olympic Games. He became the only Briton to win the world championship in 1970, and was the only rider to win the European championship three times.

In athletics, Joan Allison, who managed the successful British teams at both the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 and the world championships in Stuttgart in 1993, becomes an OBE.

There was also an OBE for Norma Jean Izard, the president of the Women's Cricket Association, who managed the England team to win the 1993 World Cup.

Hugh Bateson