Month: June 2025

Honda Volunteer Awards 2025

Shining a Light on the Heart of the Club – Honda Volunteer Awards 2025

Posted on | by Denys Andrianjafy

A cracking evening was had on Wednesday as we joined clubs from across the region for the annual Honda Volunteer Awards, hosted at Ashford RFU. With great food, great company, and even greater purpose, the evening was a celebration of the unsung heroes who keep grassroots rugby alive and thriving.

It was a night not about tries, tackles, or trophies—but about those who give their time, energy, and heart so that others can enjoy the game.

Volunteers are the engine that keeps clubs like ours running. They man the gates, cook the breakfasts, run the lines, tape the injuries, steward the car parks, wash the kit, and so much more. Often working quietly behind the scenes, they are the reason our Black & Amber family continues to grow stronger every year.

This evening gave us a chance to turn the spotlight away from our star players and shine it on those who rarely see the game because they’re too busy making it happen.

We were incredibly proud to see such a brilliant turnout from Canterbury RFC—and even prouder to bring home a fantastic haul of awards:

Connecting the Community

  • Abe Grumerr

  • Will Sands

  • Erin Collins

  • Oliver Glewis

  • Percy Coupe

  • Charlie Rees

  • John Halliday

  • Denys Andrianjafy

Unsung Hero

  • Miles MacKinnon

  • Matt Pinnick

  • Sally Taylor – Regional Finalist

  • James Ivens

Game for All

  • Alex Sullivan

  • Ella Jenkins

  • Rich Collins

RFU Award

  • Tony Carollo – Match Official Winner

The overriding sentiment from every award winner was humbling:
“We are one of many.”

And they’re right. The work of one volunteer is part of something so much bigger, a tapestry of support, passion, and commitment that binds our club together.

To all our volunteers—named and unnamed, seen and unseen—thank you.
From the bottom of our hearts, we salute you.

Harry Drane joins from Pontypool

Summer signings

Posted on | by Denys Andrianjafy

The club has announced six new additions to the senior squad for the 2025/26 season. They include four prop forwards, one second row player and a centre/fly half. The front row recruits are headed by Harry Drane, from Welsh Super League side Pontypool, and he is joined by Dutch Under 20 international Maik Timmerman, Westcombe Park; Lewis Young, Saracens Academy and Carter Oliver, from Brighton. There will be fresh faces also in second row player Charlie Barker (Saracens Academy and England Under 19s} and utility back Luke Talbot, from Tonbridge Juddians, who is currently playing a leading role for Kent in their bid to win a third consecutive County championship title. Charlie and Lewis will join on season-long loans from Saracens.

Also on board is promising wing Harry Dean and the squad will be further boosted by the return of three long term injury victims, flanker Mo Pangarkar, prop Elliot Lusher and scrum half Cullen Daly. With the retirement of stalwarts Danny Herriott and Arron Cooper, Director of Rugby Taff Gwilliam has looked to add depth to his front row roster in view of the challenge faced by the Pilgrims side as they compete at Regional 2 level for the first time.

“We are delighted to have retained the whole of last season’s squad, retirees apart,” says Taff. “The new signings add depth and competition to our squad. With the Pilgrims now at level 6 it was paramount that we strengthened. Luke Talbot and Maik Timmerman are experienced at National 2 players with the potential to improve further. Harry Drane has been playing regularly at a very high level in Wales. The fact that Lewis Young and Charlie Barker are in Saracens senior Academy players speaks for itself. Carter Oliver is an investment for the future who goes alongside some talented home grown youngsters we have coming through such as Owain Collins, Max Campbell, Aiden Demery, Ollie Jordan Smith, Isaac Devine and Andrew Thomas to name but a few.

An exciting season is in prospect”