PETERSFIELD Rugby Football Club swept the board at the East Hampshire District Council Sports Awards night, with wins in all three of the categories for which it was nominated.
Head coach James Alder won recognition as Coach of the Year. James took over a squad of players that had just avoided relegation but turned around the team to go on to win the Snows Group Hampshire 1 title and the Hampshire Bowl Cup in the 2016-17 season.
As well as taking senior training, James also found time to take coaching sessions for the academy (under-14s to under-16s) and the colts. This season he has also attended Sunday morning youth training and has taken four age groups for specific sessions.
James continues to develop himself professional and is undertaking a Sport Science Degree at the University of Winchester.
He is also a Level 3 qualified referee and a member of the Hampshire Referee’s Society. He was awarded the most improved referee trophy for the 2016-17 season.
Petersfield’s first team won for the award for Senior Team of the Year. For the title-clinching final league match of the 2016-17 season against promotion rivals New Milton the starting XV contained 12 players who had come through the club youth section. The same 12 played again as Field won the Bowl Final a fortnight later.
This season the team has gone on to be competitive in London 3 South West league and currently sit mid-table.
Petersfield also won the Club of the Year award.
In addition to fielding three senior sides and an occasional veterans’ side, the club has a large junior section. The junior teams have excelled with the under-13s and under-14s winning and coming runner-up in the Hampshire Plate and the under-15s and the under-16s both winning their leagues.
The club has also been busy improving the clubhouse by replacing flooring in the main clubroom, and installing new drainage, a gym, a balcony extension with spectator seating and an electronic scoreboard.