Nine club members have been recognised in this year’s Kent RFU Honda Awards. They are made for outstanding volunteer services to rugby union in England. The recipients were named at an awards evening at Aylesford Rugby Club and were presented by Kent Executive Committee chairman and RFU Council member Roger Clarke. Canterbury winners were Denys Andrianjafy for his Communications work for the club; Jake Beesley, Young Persons Award; Richard Collins, Match Official Award; Press Officer David Haigh, Unsung Hero; Alice Hayward, Social Inclusion; Womens team member Ella Jenkins, Game For All, for her commitment to student rugby at Christchurch University; Youth chair Matt Pinnick was the Game Changer category winner and a second Game For All honour went to Becky McCracken who has founded the successful girls section at the club. Lola Sanderson’s great work and enthusiasm in coaching minis players earned her an accolade in the Young Persons category. Ella Jenkins has also been chosen as a national finalist.
Canterbury wing Garry Jones got the best birthday present he could have wished for, scoring two crucial tries for Kent in their County Championship final victory over Yorkshire. After joining the club at the start of last season from Australian club USC the chance to play at RFU headquarters on Saturday, June 15th was a red letter day for the birthday boy. His tries came in the 50th ad 65th minutes and helped the county side to retain the title they won in 2023 by the narrowest of margins, 31-30. Garry, who is originally from Newcastle, was not the only Canterbury player to have a significant role in Kent’s successful campaign this season. He was joined in Saturday’s starting line-up by hooker Eoin O’Donoghue and flanker Cameron Murray, with Cameron Macmillan, Alfie Orris and Michael Fankah coming on from the replacements bench. It was Eoin’s pin point throwing at the lineout which gave his side a 100 per cent return in an area where they were superior to Yorkshire. In the Pool Rounds, centre Will Waddington was another first choice for the county until he suffered a shoulder injury against Hampshire. Kent’s back to back successes have been overseen by our own Director of Rugby Taff Gwilliam who also heads the county’s senior playing programme.
