The Northampton Rugby Spirit Award has been introduced to recognise both the place that rugby has within the town and the power that the sport has to improve the community as a whole.
The Northampton Rugby Spirit Award can be handed out to a coach who has gone above and beyond the call of duty, a teacher who has given their own time to set up a new rugby team in their school, or someone who has raised funds in imaginative and successful means, either for a rugby club or using the sport to raise money for charity.
Nominations can be made by anyone in the Northampton rugby community, including clubs within the wider Northampton and District Rugby Alliance. Submissions can be made via the Northampton Saints website, which will need to include a supporting statement (max 500 words) and testimonials.
The deadline for submissions is Friday, May 1st, with a five-person short-list announced shortly afterwards. The winner will be decided by a panel made up from Northampton Saints and Northampton Borough Council, who are supporting the award. The short-listed people then invited to the Saints' Awards Dinner on Monday, May 18th, where the award itself will be handed out.
“Northampton has an outstanding and committed rugby community that does a great deal to grow the sport and to help charity, and we're delighted to be establishing this Rugby Spirit Award,” said Saints chief executive Allan Robson.
“Everyone at the Saints is proud of the place that we have within the community, and an award like this gives something back, recognising hard work that is often done unseen by the wider world.
“The Saints have been at the heart of Northampton's community for over 135 years, and this award means that we can honour publicly the work done by volunteers, coaches, teachers and players, and give them the recognition they deserve.”
To submit someone for consideration visit www.northamptonsaints.co.uk/rugbyspirit
