KEIGHLEY RUFC rounded off a successful season on Saturday night with 120 people attending the annual senior teams awards night.

For the 1st XV, head coach Dan McGee reported that it had been the most successful season for ten years and also the longest pre-season ever as they started training in May 2020 because of the Covid pandemic.

The players responded well to the 16-month lay-off period without rugby. It allowed them to gel as a unit and develop core skills.

During the season they broke several records – the longest winning run at the start of a season by winning their first 12 games; largest winning score of over 100 points not only once but twice beating Old Grovians 100-8 and Thornensians 115-0.

Alex Brown had also reached the milestone of 300 first team appearances. In total they played 24 games as on two occasions opponents were unable to raise a team; won 22; drew two and lost two.

The Top Trainer Award was given to Ross Lacey; Top Tackler Award to Ed Keighley; the Young Breakthrough Player was received by Kristian Bealey-Kay. George Marshall won the Willi Hafu Most Improved Player Award. The Michael Hale Trophy for the Supporters Player of the Season went to Jake Parkinson and Tom Whyte won both the Players' Player of the Season and the Sam Keighley Trophy for the Outstanding Player of the Season.

McGee also thanked his coaching team of James Cunliffe, Tom Lowther, Declan Hampson, Luke Carter and Chris Cooper and Chris Leach.

Manager Duncan Walsh presented the Stags (second team) awards. Walsh thanked Tim Brunskill, Alan Bradford and Colin Dyson for their help. He mentioned the ‘open door’ approach policy of the first team coaches, which allowed several Stags players to compete in the first team during the season.

They played 26 games; won 14; drew two and lost 10. The Most Improved Player Award went to Ross Lacey, who was also awarded the Players' Player of the Season voted on by his teammates.

The Derek Feather Award for the Stalwart of the Season went to veteran prop Mark Symes, who is 47. The Alec Bailey Award for the managements Player of the Season went to 18-year-old Max Wild.

The 3rd XV, manager Allan Hobson-Sheriff spoke about the need to keep people from all walks of life playing rugby and noted 86 different players had turned out for the team during the season in which they played 22 games; won 11; drew one and lost 10.

The emphasis was on players enjoying playing rugby rather than winning. The Most Improved Player award went to Frank Fairbank and Matt Birkett won the Stalwart of the Team award.

Third team players voted Sam Walker as the Player of the Season. Walker also collected the Player of the Season award from the managers. He also thanked Martyn Wood and Hamish Pratt for their help.

The Team of the Year were the first team, who received the Bill Cooper Cup for being Yorkshire 2 champions.

The Gary Farr Trophy for the player who has scored most tries in all senior games was shared between Sam Walker and Kristian Bealey-Kay with 17 each.

The Yorkshire 1 fixtures for next season are to be released on June 15 and teams Keighley will be playing include Beverley, Bradford Salem, Dinnington, Goole, Huddersfield YMCA, Hullensians, Leodiensian, Old Rishworthians, Roundhegains, West Leeds and Wetherby in the new 12 team leagues.