Presentation evenings pay Tribute to South West rugby
Rugby teams from across the South West raised a glass to a successful season at special presentation evenings hosted by St Austell Brewery.
Events held at St Austell Brewery, Exmouth Rugby Club and North Petherton Rugby Club celebrated the success of the counties' clubs and marked the first season of the Brewery's award winning Tribute Ale sponsoring grass roots rugby across the region and becoming the official beer of South West Rugby.
Officials from the RFU Constituency Bodies and the South West Competitions Committees joined players and Brewery representatives to present winning clubs with their trophies for the Tribute Leagues.
The award evening in Devon was in a fitting venue, with home club Exmouth RFC celebrating winning the Tribute South West 2 West league. In a successful season for Devon clubs, Sidmouth secured promotion and will play next season in the South West Two West League, a level higher than they have been since the leagues started in 1987.
Other honours went to Cullompton, who were victorious in the Tribute Cornwall/ Devon League.
In Cornwall, Saltash Rugby club collected the Nick Goldsworthy Cup for winning the Tribute Cornwall 1 league and Illogan Park was awarded the Peter Michell Cup for winning the Tribute Cornwall 2 and presented with the Alan Barbary Cup for having the best scores of any team in the Cornwall Club leagues.
Winners in Somerset included Keynsham, who collected their trophy for winning the Tribute Somerset Premier league. Burnham RFC collected the top title in Tribute Somerset 1 league. The home team, North Petherton RFC also secured promotion to the Tribute Somerset Premier league.
This year, for the first time St Austell Brewery also handed out their own "Tribute, You've earned it" award which was awarded to the club in the Tribute leagues who had faced the toughest season. In Cornwall the ‘Tribute, You've earned it' award was handed to Camborne in recognition of outstanding endeavour and commitment despite coming bottom in the Tribute South West 2 league (west).
In Devon the award was handed to North Tawton, who after a number of difficult seasons, the club fought back to form, finishing fourth in the Tribute Devon 2 league, losing only 4 of their 14 fixtures. In Somerset the same award went to Martock RFC, who like Camborne, showed sheer determination throughout the season despite finishing at the bottom of the Tribute Somerset 1 league.
Dave Martin from the Cornwall RFU Constituency Body said: "It was great to join together and celebrate a season filled with action. We're grateful to St Austell Brewery for their continued support of our sport through their excellent Tribute Ale and look forward to the 2008/2009 season with their continued backing."
Jeremy Mitchell, St Austell Brewery Head of Marketing said: "We're delighted to be part of rugby across the region through our Tribute sponsorship of 14 leagues in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset as well as shirt sponsorship deals with several clubs in the South West.
"It has been a very successful and enjoyable first season for Tribute's sponsorship, both in terms of supporting local clubs and in developing the Tribute brand, which is something we're all very proud of. Our congratulations go to all the clubs who played in the Tribute leagues this year and in particular to those who collected silverware at the presentation evening."
Under the Tribute sponsorship deal St Austell Brewery is backing the Constituency Bodies of Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and the South West Divisional Organising Committee which encompasses 157 rugby teams competing in leagues level six and below, playing across the three counties.
Tribute's support is aiding the development of the sport across the region, while the applicable clubs have the opportunity to gain new funding for equipment and support for social events.
|
BRIXHAM RFC CHOOSE TRIBUTE
The huge success regionally and nationally of St Austell Brewery's flagship Tribute Ale has seen it storm into the top 20 of the UK's bestselling cask ales.
