Honda is now sponsor of the RFU Volunteer awards and it is important that all clubs recognise those who make our rugby possible and I would therefore urge all club management committees to make this an agenda item and forward names of those volunteers who consider the merit of an award for this rugby year.
Those forwarded should not have been nominated in the past two (2) years.
The Honda Volunteer of the Year Awards 2022 will recognise and celebrate volunteers across Rugby for their achievements and efforts over the past 12 months, both on and off the field.
To reflect the challenges that clubs have faced and recognise the outstanding contribution that volunteers have made to both their rugby clubs and the wider community, this year’s national awards programme will focus on three specific categories:
- Unsung Hero
- Beyond Rugby: Connecting the Community
- Game for All
Nominations can be made for an individual, or a team of volunteers within a club, who have gone above and beyond over the course of the past 12 months.
Please read the description of each award in full before submitting your nomination.
Nominations will open from Monday 10th January and will close at 9am on Monday 28 February.
Those who have been shortlisted to attend the national final will be notified by the end of June and will be invited to an awards ceremony at Twickenham in September where the winners of each category will be announced
Unsung Hero
Aim of Award
This award will recognise an individual, or group of rugby volunteers, who have gone above and beyond over the past 12 months to provide positive experiences & ensure their club/referee society is fit for the future.
Award Summary
This award is looking to recognise those who have gone above and beyond and have shown a willingness to try their hand at whatever was needed to support the club over the past 12 months, demonstrating a positive, can-do attitude to overcoming challenges and developing innovative ways to sustain their club. This could be through helping to recruit and retain players, volunteers and officials or someone who is often found working ‘behind the scenes’ to support the future sustainability of the club.
Beyond Rugby: Connecting the Community
Aim of Award
This award will recognise an individual, or group of rugby volunteers, who have made an outstanding contribution and had significant impact within their local community during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Award Summary
This award is open to those who have gone above and beyond to engage and support their local community, while also providing a platform for the development and growth of the club/referee society. This could be through raising money, providing use of the club facilities, working in partnership with other community organisations or supporting local charities. Ultimately using the power of rugby to bring their community together.
Game for All
Aim of Award
This award will recognise volunteers either individually, or as part of a team, who have provided an inspiring and diverse offer, to open the game up to new audiences and make the game more accessible for all.
Award Summary
This award will recognise those who have shown outstanding commitment in developing and delivering an inspiring offer to open the game up to new audiences and make the game more accessible for all. This could be through improving accessibility for participants from ethnically diverse communities, delivering initiatives to overcome barriers for those from lower socio-economic groups, driving work forwards to support increased LGBT+ participation in rugby or delivering mixed ability rugby
If you want to recognise a volunteer, or a group of volunteers, who have gone above and beyond over the past 12 months you can nominate by using the form below.
Nominations close at 9am Monday 28 February 2022
If you have any queries regarding the completion of this form please contact volunteerrecognition@rfu.com
We’ve put together some top tips to consider when writing the application:
- Check the summary for each of the awards to ensure you’re nominating for the right one
- Be sure to answer all the questions, as this will provide guidance to the awards panel, and make sure you consider and respond to all the criteria for that award category
- Nominations should include evidence to support and illustrate the impact and achievements of the volunteer or team of volunteers in the award category, and where possible be supported by facts and figures
- Keep to the word limit and ensure the information provided is concise and relevant. With a word limit of 250, this could mean that some answers are provided in bullet point format
- The awards are focussed on activity which has taken place over the past 12 months
- Once you have drafted an application, it may be worth asking someone else within the club to have a look over the application.
