Coach pleased to be recognised for efforts depsite missing out on top prize

A Dagenham rugby coach may have missed out on a prestigious prize at the home of English rugby, but he is counting his blessings after reaching the final of the Crabbie’s National Rugby Awards.

Kevin Young narrowly missed out on winning the Ram Rugby Coach of the Year award at Twickenham on September 1, at an event attended by England internationals Chris Robshaw, Danny Care and Alex Goode as well as members of the Olympic silver medal-winning rugby sevens side.

Barking Rugby Club coach Young was nominated for the award after first getting into the sport through his son, and has since progressed from being a parent on the sideline to a coach of the club’s under-15s side.

And despite missing out on top spot, the 53-year-old insists he couldn’t have asked for better recognition of his hard work both on and off the pitch.

“Just to be nominated for this award was good enough for me,” said Young. “I’m sure all six of the finalists do an equally good job as each other.

“Obviously I would have loved to have won it, but I’m more than happy for the guy who did, because he goes through the same as I do, week in, week out.

“It was fantastic to be nominated. When you think that out of 13,000 clubs, there are six of us here, that’s a big honour for me.

“It’s great to be around so many professional players, and it’s nice to have come up from grassroots with the kids to being in the company of players at that level.

“The more that grassroots rugby can be supported like this, the better it is for the game.”

Now in its second year, the Crabbie’s National Rugby Awards are designed to honour the achievements of all the thousands of rugby clubs up and down the country.

The Awards provide recognition to clubs and players at every level of the game, as well as those who invest their time and energy into the sport in other ways.

And for Wasps and England international James Haskell, who won the Zebra Architects Professional Player of the Year prize, the awards are the perfect celebration of grassroots rugby.

“It’s amazing to have won, I never really win any award so it’s very humbling,” said Haskell, who was part of England’s RBS 6 Nations Grand Slam-winning team earlier this year.

“I had no idea I was going to get the opportunity, and see how much it means to everyone else who won awards.

“Rugby wouldn’t be what it is if we didn’t have the amazing grassroots elements to it. I grew up playing at Maidenhead Rugby Club since I was five years old, and if you go into any club round the country, they live and breathe what the national team do.

“Everyone is an aspiring professional rugby player and some of the older guys probably still think they should be, so I’m really flattered to be at these awards and I hope grassroots rugby keeps growing and growing.”