Rugby Union SAs Annual Awards was held 7th September and was a celebration of all our clubs, volunteers and players in a year where we celebrated our 90th Anniversary.
Lusia Raikiwasa took home the Edna Reilly Medal for the best and fairest player in the female grade, her second award previously winning in 2018.
Port Adelaide back, Samuela Tanaki narrowly took out the Don Smith award for best & fairest premier grade player over Southern Suburbs’ Felix Tappouras and Elizabeths’ Masitabua Tadeo.
CEO, Carl Jones, commented on how well the evening ran, with special mention to the Brighton Rugby Club community for hosting and catering for over 180 members of our community. “Its great to see a cross-section of all our clubs being recognised as winners on the night. And to our new Life Members, which are getting younger and younger, congratulations on being recognised for your contribution to the community.”
FULL LIST OF ALL WINNERS:
- Coopers Club Champion: Brighton
- Volunteer of the Year: Fraser Vivian, Barossa
- Darryl Ryan Best Grounds and Facilities: Port Adelaide
- HJ Rogers Administrative Services: Cathy Gardiner, Southern Suburbs
- Highest Try Scoring Womens Team: Southern Suburbs
- Highest Try Scoring Mens Team: Brighton Reserve
- Neil Charter Junior Development: Vanessa van Dongen, Elizabeth
- Ray Rosser Coach of the Year: Tom Hankey, Burnside
- U18 Best Tackler: Ben Thomas, Adelaide University
- Meredith Knowler Womens Tackling Trophy: Abby Lancaster, Woodville
- Sir Norman Jude Mens Tackler: Liam Devine Onkaparinga
- Junior Maualaivao U18 Best & Fairest: Carl Arnold Old Collegians
- Ray Herde U21 Best & Fairest: Felix Tappouras, Southern Suburbs
- Best Female Forward: Lusia Raikiwasa Adelaide University
- Best Female Back: Frances Afeaki, Southern Suburbs
- Edna Reilly Best & Fairest Female: Lusia Raikiwasa, Adelaide University
- Best Male Forward: Felix Tappouras, Southern Suburbs
- Best Male Back: Samuela Tanaki, Port Adelaide
- Don Smith Best & Fairest Male: Samuela Tanaki
- Quentin Fleischfresser Outstanding Junior Referee: Brodie Smith
- Most Improved Referee: Jamie Wilson
- Referee Encouragement Award: Josh Daly
- Outstanding Contribution to Referees: Chris Kummerow
- Hall of Fame Inductee: Bob Forbes
- Number of Premiership winning teams through the ‘60s and ‘70s where he was the Captain/ Coach
- State Coach, Director of Coaching Old Collegians and Australian Coaching Panel
- Number of state games though ‘60
- Hall of Fame Inductee: Dave Zeelen
- Coaching record from 2005 to 2022 across a number of senior and junior grades
- Referee in JPP games
- Junior Coordinator within the club
- CAG/ JYAC/ WAG delegate
- President of Elizabeth
- 10 years on Elizabeth’s management committee
- Played in excess of 570 matches over 37 years
- Hall of Fame Inductee: John Colley
- Player Life Member and Life Member of Woodville
- 19 years on Woodville’s management committee
- CAG/ JYAC delegate
- Helped keep the social aspect of the club alive while the club went through the re-build phase
- Player Life Member Recipient: Richard Wasley
- Richard has played 327 club games and 50 state games.
- He was captain for SA in 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001 and 2002
- Was awarded the President’s Trophy for Outstanding Forward in 2005
- Richard coached state under 16s in 2008 and the Black Falcons in 2015
- He has coached Brighton’s Premier Grade for 6 years and coached them to 3 premierships and coached the under 12s to back-to-back premierships in 2000-2001
- Was awarded the Coach of the Year in 2020
- Player Life Member Recipient: Tim Mattin
- Has been playing rugby union since the 1990s
- Has played in excess of 500 club games and over 30 state games
- Was awarded the Black Falcons Best Team Player in 2005 and the Don Smith Medal in 2004, 2013 and 2015
- He has also been awarded the President’s Trophy for Outstanding Forward in 2004, 2006, 2007, 2013 and 2015
- Won the Sir Norman Jude Tackling Trophy in 2006 and 2013
- Life Member Recipient: Wally Bell, OAM
- Has been involved with rugby union in SA since 1970s as a player, coach and administrator
- President of Burnside Rugby Club
- Board Director and Chairman of Rugby Union South Australia
- Involved in staging the Rugby World Cup games in Adelaide in 2003, the Provincial Rugby Sevens and the International Rugby Sevens
- Was also awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia this year for his outstanding achievement and service to Rugby Union in South Australia
