Six individuals will be inducted into the Newfoundland and Labrador Sports Hall of Fame for 2008 during the inaugural Sport Newfoundland and Labrador Stars and Legends Awards Gala.

This year�s inductees are:

• Edgar "Eggie" Billard, Athlete (Hockey)
• William James "Bill" Drover, Athlete (Boxing)
• Clem "Junior" Edwards, Athlete/Builder (Soccer)
• Rex Hillier, Athlete (Volleyball)
• Cluny Macpherson "Mac" Rideout, Athlete/Builder (Baseball)
• Kathy Wells, Athlete (Table Tennis)

Biographies of inductees follow.

The Newfoundland and Labrador Sports Hall of Fame is designed to recognize, honour and pay tribute to all individuals, groups, associations, families or teams on the basis of playing ability, sportsmanship and character and who have achieved extra-ordinary distinction in any sport, whether that distinction be achieved in amateur and/or professional athletics. It recognizes, honours and pays tribute to those individuals, groups, associations or families who have given distinguished services and who have made a major contribution to the development and advancement of amateur sport in Newfoundland and Labrador. Lastly it encourages the development of all aspects of sport by permanently recording the achievements and history of such individuals, groups, associations, families or teams.

"This year�s meeting proved to be an extremely competitive selection process. Each year anywhere from 80 to 100 nominations are reviewed by the Board of Governors," explained John McGrath, Chairperson of the Newfoundland and Labrador Sports Hall of Fame. "Inductees are truly representative of the legends of our provincial sports, and we are pleased to be honouring them at our first annual Stars and Legends Awards Gala in April."

For the first time, Sport Newfoundland and Labrador is combining its two major recognition events into one celebration � the Stars and Legends Awards Gala. During one magnificent evening, both the Provincial Annual Awards and the Newfoundland and Labrador Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place. It is the first time both the legends who have built provincial sports and the stars who will become tomorrow�s legends will be honoured at the one event.

The Stars and Legends Awards Gala is set for April 5, 2008 at The Fairmont Newfoundland. It will be co-hosted by Jonathan Crowe of CBC News: Here and Now, and Mike Wahl co-owner and Director of Fitness Company "Definitions". The entertainment will be provided by Achara (Oh-Ko-ro), a local band which plays a mixture of traditional Irish/Newfoundland Folk Music.

Tickets for the Stars and Legends Awards Gala can be purchased by contacting Sport Newfoundland and Labrador at 709-576-4932 or sportnl@sportnl.ca. For further information on the gala, visit the event website at www.starsandlegends.ca

Sport Newfoundland and Labrador is a volunteer organization committed to the promotion and advancement of amateur sport throughout the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

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Media contact:
Troy Croft
Sport Newfoundland and Labrador
709-576-4932
troy@sportnl.ca

Hockey goaltender Edgar "Eggie" Billard was involved with hockey in Newfoundland and Labrador for 16 years. His goaltending career began in high school and from there he moved on to the local junior and senior leagues and the provincial senior hockey league. In 1962, he was offered a tryout and a position with the Chicago Black Hawks of the National Hockey League. Billard played for the Guards in the St. John�s Senior League capturing four Boyle Trophy Championships; he won the Art Hamlyn Trophy for best goaltender five years in succession. Billard also played provincially with the St. John�s Senior Capitals winning a Herder Memorial Championship; he won the top goaltender award twice provincially. While playing goal with the Cee Bees in Division "A" of the World Old-timer�s League, the team captured two gold medals.

William James "Bill" Drover had a distinguished 12-year boxing career from 1962 to 1974. His career spanned the local, provincial, national, and international level and even the professional level, and he held the Newfoundland and Labrador Heavyweight Title until his retirement. On the national scene, Drover was Champion of Montreal 1969 and he held the Eastern Canadian Heavyweight Title until his retirement. Internationally, Drover fought out of Johannesburg (South Africa), Barcelona (Spain), London (England), and Madison Square Garden, Philadelphia, Seattle, and Denver (USA). He went undefeated in winning local, provincial, and national boxing titles. At the professional level, Drover was ranked number one in Canada for a number of years. At one point, he was ranked by Ring Magazine as one of the top 20 pro fighters in the world.

Clem "Junior" Edwards of St. Lawrence amassed a superb soccer career as a player and a coach. He started his organized soccer career at 12 years of age and was still playing after 39 years in the Masters. Edwards was a member of the powerful St. Lawrence Laurentians which captured 10 provincial Challenge Cup titles in the 1970�s; Edwards was selected as provincial Challenge Cup MVP five times. In National Challenge Cup competition, the St. Lawrence Laurentians captured two silver medals and an Eastern Canadian championship. In 1980, Edwards began a 27-year provincial coaching contribution, helping the St. Lawrence Laurentians win eight provincial senior championships during the 1990s, including the latest Challenge Cup title in 2002. He served as chair of the St. Lawrence Soccer Association and the St. Lawrence Minor Soccer Parents Association. Edwards is a member of the Newfoundland and Labrador Soccer Hall of Fame, the Burin Peninsula Soccer Hall of Fame, and the St. Lawrence Soccer Hall of Fame.

Rex Hillier demonstrated great versatility by excelling in five different sports but without a doubt, his international volleyball achievements rank at the top of his athletic career. He started his volleyball career in 1967-1968 and went on to play at the high school, university, national and international level. Hillier competed in the Canada Winter Games and was named to the Canadian Junior Volleyball Team, the first Newfoundlander to reach the national level in volleyball. He is a member of the Memorial University Athletic Honour Society, the Conception Bay South Hall of Fame, and the Newfoundland and Labrador Volleyball Hall of Fame. Hillier was the first male recipient of the CBS Athlete of the Year Award and in 1998-1999 and received the Reg Soper Memorial Award for Contribution to Volleyball.

Cluny Macpherson "Mac" Rideout has made a tremendous contribution to the sport of baseball in Newfoundland and Labrador as a player, a coach and an organizer. At age 15, he was drafted by the Guards Athletic Association to begin a pitching career on the local, provincial, and national junior scene that has been unequalled. Rideout has been a member of teams that won local, provincial and national championships, and at the individual level he has received seven Top Pitcher Awards, three MVP Awards, and was named Senior Rookie of the Year. In 1968, Rideout was scouted by the Boston Red Sox. As an organizer and coach, Rideout has been involved with both the Guards Athletic Association and the Mount Pearl Minor Baseball Program. He was awarded the Charlie Quick Award for outstanding contribution to the Guards Athletic Association, the Association�s highest honour, and has been inducted into the Newfoundland and Labrador Baseball Hall of Fame, the St. John�s Baseball Hall of Fame, and the Mount Pearl Sports Hall of Fame.

Kathy Wells is said to be the best female table tennis player this province has ever produced. She played at the high school, university, provincial and national levels, was the top-ranked player in Atlantic Canada for several years, and competed at the Canada Winter Games. Wells was the Newfoundland Ladies Single Champion for 10 consecutive years and the St. John�s Open Ladies Single Winner for nine consecutive years. She also performed well at the Canadian National Championships earning numerous gold, silver, and bronze medals from 1976 to 1986. In 1977, Wells was named Springdale Athlete of the Year and received the Springdale Outstanding Table Tennis Player Award. She was runner up for St. John�s Female Athlete of the Year and Newfoundland Female Athlete of the Year in 1982. In 1988, Wells received the Canada Celebration Olympic Spirit Award for Athletic Excellence in Sport.