Six UK grassroots clubs are in the running to be crowned the Gallagher ‘Rugby Club of the Season’. The winner will be announced in October at The Premiership Rugby Awards, presented by Gallagher. Follow @GallagherUK on Instagram for further competition news and updates.
Gallagher’s Rugby Club of The Season Competition
The search began in November 2019 to find local clubs that could demonstrate their contribution to the local community, both on and off-the-pitch; their inclusive approach to providing opportunities in rugby across age, gender, ethnicity and ability; and their innovative ways of increasing participation in the sport at a grassroots level.
During the Summer, there was a public vote which will contribute to the overall result, with rugby legends and Gallagher ambassadors Ugo Monye and Nolli Waterman, as well as representatives from Gallagher and Premiership Rugby contributing votes.
Each of the finalists are paired with a Gallagher Premiership Rugby club from their region and rugby fans up and down the country can now vote for their winner from the following six clubs:
- Battersea Ironsides (Harlequins)
- Erdington RFC (Wasps Rugby)
- Haringey Rhinos Ladies (London Irish)
- Kingsbridge RFC (Exeter Chiefs)
- Longlevens RFC (Gloucester Rugby)
- Trafford MV RFCC (Sale Sharks)
All of the finalists have received a Gilbert training bundle worth £1000 and will enjoy an exclusive ‘Train with your Heroes’ session, as well as a free business consultancy session delivered by risk management and insurance specialists from Gallagher when safety conditions allow.
To mark each of the clubs reaching the final stage of the competition, Gallagher hosted a series of Zoom calls which saw club representatives set out to Ugo and Nolli why they deserve to win. Gallagher Premiership Rugby stars Nathan Earle (Harlequins), Willie Heinz (Gloucester), Ben Loader (London Irish), Jack Maunder (Exeter Chiefs), Tom O’Flaherty (Exeter Chiefs), Jono Ross (Sale Sharks) and Jack Willis (Wasps Rugby) joined their affiliated clubs’ Zoom calls to surprise the finalists and wish them good luck.
Watch each club’s Zoom call here!
Ugo Moyne, Gallagher ambassador, said: “It has been inspiring meeting all of the clubs and shining a light on the impactful work they have been doing within their communities - Gallagher have chosen six fantastic finalists. Grassroots rugby has gone through a tough period over the last few months and the inaugural Gallagher Rugby Club of the Season Award will give a much-needed boost to all six clubs. Get voting for your winner!”
Danielle ‘Nolli’ Waterman, Gallagher ambassador, said: “Grassroots rugby is so important for the development of the game and it has been wonderful to see the quality of the finalists. All six of the clubs have made huge strides to grow the sport in their communities and make rugby more accessible. It was amazing to see their reactions when each club was surprised by a professional player on Zoom, they are really looking forward to getting back on the pitch and getting to train with some of those top players in person.”
Sarah Griffiths, Gallagher Head of Communications, commented: “We created this award to acknowledge and reward the work that is being done by rugby clubs specifically around inclusivity, innovation and diversity at a community level. All six finalists have made significant impact within grassroots rugby to develop the game, from using rugby to help underprivileged groups and growing the women’s game, to removing financial barriers to entry and using the sport to improve emotional wellbeing. We are proud to have recognised these clubs and look forward to following their progress in the coming seasons.”
The winner of the inaugural Gallagher ‘Rugby Club of the Season’ award will be announced at an event at the end of the 2019/2020 season, with details confirmed in due course.
To find out more about Gallagher’s involvement in rugby, visit: ajg.com/uk/gallagher-premiership-rugby/
