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

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.