Two young volunteers from RWBRFC have been recognised by England Rugby for their continued service and commitment to the sport.
18 year old Rhys Floyd and Aidan Plenderleith were presented trophies at the regional finals of the Mitsubishi Volunteer of the Year Awards – which are given out by Mitsubishi Motors and England Rugby - after being nominated by their rugby peers.
The awards evening was held at North Dorset RFC on Saturday 4th May.
Outstanding Achievement Award
The Outstanding Achievement Award was presented to Aidan Plenderleith, who, following a serious head injury while playing for Bassett’s Colts, continued his rugby career by coaching our Under 13s team. Aidan bravely shared his story with us late last year, demonstrating how you can find a place for yourself within the rugby family, on or off the field.
Aidan travelled to the North Dorset presentation from Minehead where he was away coaching the Bassett Under 13s on their annual rugby tour. “I’m so happy to have been able to receive the award,” said Aidan on his return to Minehead. “I owe a massive thanks for being nominated, and to all the volunteers who make RWBRFC such a great club, and especially to everyone who’s been a part of this season allowing me to continue my rugby journey through coaching.”
Colt of the Year
On 24th May Aidan was surprised to be awarded 'Colt of the Year 2019' by Colts teammate Rhys Floyd and Captain Evan Vaughan-Lewis. The award was presented during the Under 13s end-of-season presentation night at which Aidan was presiding as Team Coach.
Volunteer of the Year
Dorset & Wilts Volunteer of the Year was awarded to Rhys Floyd in recognition of his work coaching the Bassett Under 8s section. Rhys is also an unwavering volunteer behind the scenes, assisting the Bassett seniors for years, both home and away. He has recently begun refereeing, where he has supported numerous club and county events. Rhys was also an organiser of the recent Quiz Night which raised £700 for the Bassett Colts.
Rhys, who was unable to attend the awards evening said, “I am very happy and honoured to win this award. I’d like to thank everyone at Royal Wootton Bassett Rugby Club for all the opportunities I’ve had - with a special mention to the Seniors for putting up for me for the last 10 years!”
Rhys will now receive an invitation to a black tie event at Twickenham Stadium later in September where he will compete for the national Volunteer of the Year title - the overall winner receiving a Mitsubishi vehicle for a year in recognition of their outstanding voluntary support for rugby.
Congratulations Rhys and Aidan - and thank you for your continued contribution to our club.
