The Senior and Youth and teams shared a presentation and award evening followed by a hog roast supper, held last weekend, at the club house which was well attended by players and guests alike.
John Nash, senior coach of the youth team, kicked the evening off with a speech in which he drew attention to the remarkable success of the youth team in their first season in the league which will now see them leap frog two divisions next season. In his first season as head coach he praised former coaches Stuart Nash and Rob Hale who left him a solid platform he could work with. The players responded to his approach and their continuous commitment, their fitness levels and above all a good attitude, were deserving of the highest praise
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Some, like Jack Sewell , were frequently called upon to play in unaccustomed roles but they did so, willingly, such was the spirit in the squad . Recognition was inevitable and it was no surprise that Joel Harries, Connor Davies, Tom Morgan, Finley Nash and Dayle Price all had representative honours during the year playing for the Dragons or Crawshays . Joel Harries has now been selected to attend the Dragons Youth Academy for the coming season, but Nash said there were others in the team who could easily follow in the future . It was within their grasp to achieve such honours.
He then presented all youth players with the new club tie followed by this season awards which were presented to the youth players by Club Chairman Alan Evans;-
Most Man of the Match Awards was won by Jordan Charles
Most Improved Player of the Season - Jordan Charles
Players Player of the Year Daffyd Watkins
Player of the Year - Joel Harries .
In a very moving speech Chairman Alan Evans first wanted to thank all the senior players for their contribution to what had been for the club a difficult season. They finally finish just below mid table . He praised Head Coach Glyn Moon and his assistant John Davies and for the loyalty shown by a core of players that saw the club through to fulfil all their fixtures on time
He then went on to thank the club , youth and senior sections alike, for the level of support he had personally received in what was for him had been a traumatic year. He had been touched by the kindness, help offered and messages of sympathy, accorded him , following the tragic loss of his wife Lynne, after along battle with illness . He was also grateful to all those for their support in attending and paying their last respects to Lynne at the funeral service.
Club Secretary Huw Lewis then announced this years winners of the senior awards which the Chairman presented
Most Improved Player - Mark Heasley . Mark had also made the maximum amount of appearances which was not achieved by anyone else
Clubman of the year- Andy Cullen. Among other duties Andy dedicated himself to the thankless but very important task of home ground collection
What then followed was very much the Jason Taylor Show. Missing just one game during the season Jason had now clocked up 470 appearances joining a fraternity of a small number of Beaufort players who have achieved this total. He was also top try scorer. He was presented with Supporter Players of the Season Award : The Players Player Cup and the coveted title Player of the Season Award. This was the first time one player had achieved this level of success.
Finally, two long and loyal service were presented- firstly to Club Secretary Huw Lewis who has had a long association with the club in which had coached in one of its most successful of seasons, captained the team as part of the a well respected front row fraternity and also has achieved the distinction of making 35 consecutive end of season rugby tours in the UK and abroad, with Beaufort.
The second was to Glyn Moon who coached the club this year but who has had a long association with Beaufort His reputation goes far and wide . Before joining Beaufort he had been part of the Newport squad that played the All Blacks in 1989 and, representing Beaufort, he has won every district honour there was to achieve including the coveted Welsh District International cap. Last season he vowed was his last and the club wishes him well for the future.