Former Australian rugby union player John Eales has been named a ‘Legend of Australian Sport’ at the Sport Australia Awards.

“It is weird and … it’s very humbling, of course,” Mr Eales told Neil Breen on the 4BC Breakfast Show.

Mr Eales believes the award is an honour to the sport as a whole.

“Rugby is a team sport and no individual can do anything unless their teammates are doing all their things correctly,” he said.

The friendships Mr Eales developed during his sporting career were a strong focus as he reflected on his career with Neil Breen.

“It was such a great time and it wasn’t all easy,” he said.

“Of course we had some tough times … where we lost and lost badly.

“I think that time, the friendship and the bonds through those times with those teams was something very special.”

Mr Eales revealed it was one of these bonds that led him to take the possibility of a sporting career seriously.

The Marist Brothers rugby union coach, Ron Price, was one of the first to tell Eales he would become a great player.

“It may have happened, but it wouldn’t have happened that quickly if it wasn’t for Ron seeing something in me that I hadn’t seen in myself,” said Mr Eales.

Press PLAY below to hear the full interview.