KENT MP Derek Wyatt is calling on Prime Minister Tony Blair to include members of England's rugby World Cup winning team in the honours list.

Mr Wyatt, a former England rugby international and Labour MP for Sittingbourne and Sheppey, landed at Heathrow today less than an hour after the England team.

Within hours he had tabled an early day motion officially congratulating the team and calling for coach Clive Woodward and captain Martin Johnson to be knighted. He stressed: “We have never had a knighthood in rugby.”

He said the rest of the squad should be given OBEs or CBEs.

Mr Wyatt, who came close to being summoned home from Australia for a vote on foundation hospitals, has again criticised the Government for its lack of representation at Saturday’s final.

Tessa Jowell MP, the secretary of state of culture, media and sport, was the highest-ranking Government minister in Australia. In contrast there were large delegations from rival countries bidding to host the Olympics.

He said: “We knew when the World Cup was going to be long before President Bush was in the frame. I think we just over-looked it.

“There are more countries that are members of the International Olympic Committee than there are members of the United Nations.”

Mr Wyatt is Tony Blair’s spokesman on rugby and a member of the all-party committee on culture, media and sport. He said the Government had missed an opportunity to capitalise on national pride.

He said: “The whole country feels better because of the win. It doesn’t feel better when we pass something in the House on foundation hospitals. This has absolutely touched people’s hearts.”