SCRUM-HALF Ollie Cole was crowned Rams RFC Players’ Player of the Year at the club’s end-of-season ball on Saturday night.
The outstanding No. 9 in National One this season, Cole took the gong ahead of runner-up Paul Schroter, the versatile forward, and 12-try Connor Hayhow who scored two hat-tricks in the centre as the Old Bath Road side finished sixth in the third tier.
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The Coaches’ player was prop Ant Marris, who recovered from a knee injury which forced him out for nearly two years to become a regular 80-minute player at prop.
Skipper Robbie Stapley presented the Captain’s Player trophies to Jamie Guttridge in the forwards, and joint-top try scorer Henry Bird in the backs.
The latter crossed the whitewash 14 times to share the Try-scoring Cup with vice-captain Tom Vooght, while stalwart outside centre, Stevie Bryant, won the Tackling Trophy.
Captain Josh Collis was voted Titans Players’ Player of the Season, with young hooker Spencer Hayhow, who also led Berkshire Under 20s to a runners-up finish in Division Two of the Jason Leonard County Championship, winning the Coaches’ gong.
Around 120 guests were present at Old Bath Road, with Andy Lynch presenting the Chairman’s Award to Marcus Noye, who took over running the social side of senior rugby in the Centaurs (3rd XV), Dragon’s Teeth (4th XV) and Horde (5th XV).
The Hutchinson Frost Memorial Award for Young Player of the Year went to the outstanding Max Hayman, the hooker who scored eight tries for the first team and went onto captain Berkshire.
Titans’ coaches Paddy Conlon and Harry Stapleton were awarded the Louie Batchelor Memorial Trophy for Coaching, with the former one of four to be presented with Honours Caps for 2019-20 when the season was shortened by Covid and the end-of-season bash subsequently postponed.
Joining him were Bryant, Rory Paxton and Ross Crame.
For the 2021/22 campaign, long-serving first-team players Jack Steadman, Jamie Guttridge, Ben Henderson and Ollie Taylor were all recognised, along with Titans’ manager Rob Dyer and medical lead, Sara Hill.
Finally, the Bill Taylor Memorial Trophy for Club Contribution was awarded to Roddy and Amanda Vaughan, who do an astounding job in ensuring the pitches are kept in as good an order as possible.
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First Team Awards
Tackling Trophy – Stevie Bryant
Try-scoring Cup – Tom Vooght and Henry Bird
Captain’s Player – Jamie Guttridge (forward) and Henry Bird (back)
Coaches’ Player – Ant Marris
Players’ Player – Ollie Cole; Runner-up – Paul Schroter; Third – Connor Hayhow
Titans Awards
Coaches’ Player of the Season – Spencer Hayhow
Players’ Player of the Season – Josh Collis
Honours Caps
2019-20 – Paddy Conlon, Stevie Bryant, Rory Paxton, Ross Crame.
2021-22 – Jamie Guttridge, Jack Steadman, Ben Henderson, Ollie Taylor, Rob Dyer, Sara Hill
Club Awards
Louie Batchelor Memorial Trophy for Coaching – Harry Stapleton and Paddy Conlon
The Hutchinson Frost Memorial Award for Young Player of the Year – Max Hayman
Chairman’s Award – Marcus Noye
Bill Taylor Memorial Trophy for Club Contribution – Roddy and Amanda Vaughan
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By Richard Ashton
