Humphreys was speaking at the unveiling of a plaque to mark the 100th birthday of Ireland legend Jack Kyle at Affidea Stadium in Belfast.

Kyle, who passed away in 2014, won 46 caps for Ireland and six for the British and Irish Lions as a fly-half, and is regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation.

In 1948, the Belfast man helped Ireland win the Five Nations Grand Slam for the first time and in 2002 was voted the greatest player in Ireland history.

When his playing career was over, Kyle worked for more than 30 years as a consultant surgeon in Chingola, Zambia.

“No matter where you go in the world of rugby, if you talk about Jack Kyle then everyone knows who he is,” Humphreys said.

“You only see snippets of players from Jack’s generation and you would love to have the coverage that we have now.

“Everyone knew of Jack’s reputation as a rugby player. You could sit and listen to him and his stories for hours, not only about rugby but about his time in Africa.”