The Progress 1000: Mayor Boris Johnson reflects on London's teamwork

Mayor Boris Johnson had a joke at the expense of the two most influential Londoners in the Progress 1000 list as he emphasised the teamwork needed in London.

Tory colleague and Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne and England rugby captain Chris Robshaw were named the joint most influential of 1000 Londoners in this year’s list.

At the launch party held at the Canary Whard Crossrail station, the mayor drew together a parallel with a rugby XV on the eve of the World Cup on Friday.

He said: “[Rugby] is a metaphor for the forward movement of any great world city.

“It does not just depend on individuals, no matter how influential that we may think we are.

“It’s a function and achievement of the worlds of finance and culture and arts and politics and sport and science packing down together and driving for the line, grinding and straining and bound in together as the locks and the porps, the number eight and the flankers.

“And not forgetting the vital importance of the hookers, whose role is understood by both of our illustrious winners tonight . . . joke there somewhere!”