Next weekend will see the sport's showcase Challenge Cup Final at Wembley Stadium. And speaking on behalf of the MPs' rugby league group, Mr Baines said the lack of such an honour for rugby league was an unfairness to "some of Britain's greatest sporting heroes". That included "legends of the game who overcame racial and class prejudice such as Billy Boston and Clive Sullivan, to modern heroes on and off the pitch like Kevin Sinfield," said Mr Baines. England star Kevin Sinfield has raised more than £10m running for causes related to motor neurone disease, in memory of his late teammate Rob Burrow. Billy Boston was a celebrated Welsh-born rugby league player from the 1950s and 1960s, who is now aged 90. A petition was launched earlier this year to award him a knighthood. "We do believe rugby league has historically been poorly treated in terms of recognition in various ways, including honours lists," said a spokesman for the Rugby Football League. There have been honours, such as CBEs and OBEs, but no knighthoods. The Prince of Wales personally gave Kevin Sinfield and Rob Burrow their CBEs last year at the ground in Leeds where they used to play. A BBC analysis earlier this year revealed that a disproportionately low number of top honours, such as knighthoods and damehoods, were going to people from the north of England and working class backgrounds - which overlaps with the rugby league heartlands. In the most recent New Year Honours only 6% of higher awards went to people in the north of England and 4% to people from working-class backgrounds. The government has recognised there are problems with under-representation in the honours and an independent chair is being recruited to improve diversity and outreach. "The government wants to ensure that the honours system reflects the diversity of UK society. Anyone can nominate someone who has made an exceptional contribution to be recognised," said a government spokesman.