AT THE end of a season in which Coventry Rugby rose from eight to fourth in the Greene King IPA Championship, reached the Championship Cup quarter-finals for a second successive year and improved both scoring and defensive records, the range of end of season award recipients reflected the progress made.
Top-scorer Rory Jennings was the only player to win multiple prizes, namely the Players’ Player and Coaches’ Player (backs) awards.
Adam Peters was the Coaches’ Player (forwards), with Ryan Burrows and James Martin winning their Supporters’ Player of the Season and Try of the Season awards voted on by the public in May.
Sam McNulty won the Jim Ashby Award as Young Player of the Year for the progression he has shown as a player over the last 12 months – switching from back row to hooker last summer before playing in National Three, National Two, National One and making his first team debut before Christmas.
The final individual award in the playing squad went to Dan Lewis, who is the Performer of the Year. This award recognises both performances on the pitch as well as the positive attitude, leadership, community work and all-round exemplification of the culture which the club is developing behind the scenes at Butts Park Arena.
Special recognition deserves to be paid to Scott Tolmie for hitting the 100-appearance mark, to Tolmie and Max Trimble as joint top try-scorers and Jo Hill as the Clubperson of the Year.
Director of rugby Rowland Winter congratulated all the winners, saying: “We’ve had a strong year in which we made improvements in every area and, while we’re by no means the finished article, there is a lot we can be proud of at the end of the season.
“Everyone contributed towards this – whether on a Saturday or during the week in our meetings and training – and there were long discussions about who should win the awards with plenty of players in consideration.
“Massive congratulations to all of them and on behalf of all of the coaches and management I’d like to thank the players and staff for their effort, the commercial side of the club for the way they have taken that area forwards and the supporters and partners for all their backing over the last 12 months.”
The awards will be physically handed out at a special ceremony later in the year, once the club can open within social distancing and government guidelines.
