This would be news to the teams which have four Super Rugby premierships so far this century – the Brumbies (twice), the Reds and lastly, the Waratahs.

Now we have David Flint telling us that by scrapping knighthoods and damehoods, we’re ensuring that our best performers in many fields will not get the international recognition they deserve. 

This need to be a knight or dame doesn’t seem to have worried all our winners of such things as Nobel Prizes, Oscars, Olympic gold medals, the Asia Cup in soccer, the America’s Cup in yachting or the Rugby Union World Cup (twice). 

The world knows who they are, just as it knows our singing sensations like The Seekers and Kylie Minogue, and our absolute, undeniable winners in international commerce like Rupert Murdoch.

So, if no knighthood means you’re nobody, then just who was the good professor talking about? 

Himself? 

Grant Agnew 

Coopers Plains