The Volunteer Appreciation Awards are the county’s way of recognising the hard work and commitment of our club volunteers without whom our clubs could not function. The 2016 awards were presented at an awards evening at London Welsh on Friday 17th June.

President’s VII Awards
Coaching: Teddington
The club represented by Leon Spight picked up the coaching category for making the most significant progress in the recruiting and training of coaches during the 2015-16 season.

Our winning club takes coach development seriously and has developed an active programme for converting mums and dads from being enthusiastic helpers to accredited coaches. This season they have trained 40 Level 1 coaches, 30 coaches have completed their Rugby Ready and Introduction to Tag, 20 have attended the Scrum Factory and 10 have successfully completed their Level 2. This club prides itself on having a coaching ratio of 6:1 in the minis, which exceeds RFU targets. They have commenced a regular ‘Talking Rugby’ session, where key speakers are invited to facilitate coach development evenings. The long-term goal is player retention – better coaches, means for a better playing environment for the children as they move from minis to juniors.

Young Volunteer of the Year Award
This year saw an increase in the number of young volunteers being nominated. What they all have in common is their loyalty to their club; they are hardworking, committed and inspirations to the rest of us. They always give their best and are willing to adapt to different circumstances. Basically they epitomize the spirit of rugby.

Congratulations to Henry Ellender who came runner up and is currently away on his travels so was represented by Julian Knott.

Well done to each and everyone one of our volunteers, without you the club simply doesn't exist.