Hartlepool Annual Rugby Awards

Mayor Stuart Drummond hosted the 2nd Annual Rugby Awards event, held once again at Hartlepool RFC on Friday 19th August, to honour members of the Rugby Community both on and off the field who had an outstanding season in 2004-2005 and to mark the long and outstanding service to the game of volunteers who have given a life times unstinting service to the Rugby game in the town.

Group nominations, each of whom received a Certificate to mark their Club Selection were as follows:

Club Player of the Year
Steven Smart (TDSOB), Stuart Palmer ( Hartlepool), Ryan Pink (Horden), Anthony Rayner (Seaton Carew), Ryan Shires (Athletic), Andrew Graham (BBOB), Gareth Foreman (Rovers), Jennifer Edwards ( Hartlepool Ladies) and Jonny Boatman (West).

Club Achievement
Adam Howard (TDSOB), Andy Palmer ( Hartlepool), Paul Armstrong (Horden),Martin Lithgo (Seaton Carew), Graham Callaghan (Athletic|), Keith Faint (BBOB), Paul Kirton (Rovers), Laura Mead ( Hartlepool Ladies), Tim Sawyer (West).

Club Personality
Dave Bramley (TDSOB), Ken Potts (Hartlepool), Kevin Potter (Horden), Kenny Braham (Seaton), Mick Hanley (Athletic), Mark Robinson (BBOB), Mark Power (Rovers), Vicki Hind (Hartlepool Ladies), Cath Young (West).

The overall town winners for each category were:

Town Player of the Year Stuart Palmer - Hartlepool
Town Club Personality of the Year Vicki Hind - Hartlepool  
Town Rugby Achievement Martin Lithgo - Seaton Carew  
Referee of the Year - David Sawyer

The evening rounded off with a Lifetime Achievement Award to Bill Featonby (Horden) who among many roles in his Club, had recently stepped down from the Committee of the District Union after 25 years service on the Committee, twenty of which were spent as Chairman.

The Coach of the Year was jointly awarded to Mick Hanley and Tony Oliver who had jointly coached their club Hartlepool Athletic to a Championship win in Division 4 of the Durham and Northumberland League. That effort was also reflected in the Team of the Year Award which went to Hartlepool Athletic RFC.