Eight awards. Four categories. Two leagues. The awards up for grabs were: Fans’ Player of the Season, Player of the Season, Fans’ Coach of the Season and Team of the Season.
Fans’ Player of the Season
Following over 3,000 votes across the two Fans’ Player of the Season awards, our winners were Mr Nottingham himself James Cherry in BUCS Super Rugby and Exeter’s Naomi Brennan in the Women’s National League.
Both players enjoyed productive seasons with James captaining new boys Nottingham to BUCS Super Rugby survival and a place in the knockouts, all while playing every minute of every game. Naomi was also key part of her team’s campaign as the Devonshire side finished third in the league and made it to the National Championship Final at StoneX Stadium on their return to the WNL.
Player of the Season
Next up in the Player of the Season category, BUCS Super Rugby saw a mesmerising fly-half help lead his university to a historic first. It is none other than Charlie Titcombe. The Loughborough playmaker made the African Violet a force to be reckoned with through his impeccable game-management, to help secure a first BUCS Super Rugby league title for the university. His special performance in the final put them within inches of doing the double, just to be pipped by Exeter.
Over in the Women’s National League, it was a Hartpury superstar who took the award. Fly-half/centre Charlie Mai-Manns was instrumental in her sides league win and defence of their championship title. Charlie signed off the season in style putting in a stellar performance at StoneX Stadium to be named Player of the Match in the final.
Fans' Coach of the Season
The Coach of the Season has also been voted for by the fans. In BUCS Super Rugby, the Green and Gold have swept both the fans’ votes as their Head Coach, Paul Westgate has been named Coach of the Season after an impressive campaign leading Nottingham to 8th in the table and a spot in the knockouts at the first time of asking.
In the Women’s National League Coach of the Season vote, one of our elite player/coaches takes the accolade. Poppy Leitch led the newly promoted Exeter to a third place finish in the league and a National Championship Final; all this while juggling playing for Exeter Chiefs in the Allianz Premier 15s. Exeter were also the only team to beat Mo Hunt’s Hartpury in 2022-23.
Team of the Season
Moving onto the final awards category of the season, the holy grail of the awards, the Team of the Season. In BUCS Super Rugby, it is largely made up of players from the league champions Loughborough and national champions Exeter, who each have four players in the squad. In addition, Bath, Cardiff and Durham have two players each, while Nottingham has one player included.
Unlike last season’s Durham-drenched front row, we have three players from three different universities; Bryn Davies (Loughborough), Ben Chapman (Cardiff) and Archie Griffin (Bath). At four and five, we have Loughborough’s Alex Wardell alongside Bath’s Mackenzie Graham. The forwards are completed with a back row of Exeter’s flanking fresher Lucas Dorrell, Loughborough’s captain and first returning player in the squad Teddy Leatherbarrow, and the Green and Gold’s sole representative, their captain James Cherry.
Just like 12 months prior, the half backs are from Durham and Loughborough. At scrum-half the Palatinate’s Max Pepper and our second returning player in the squad, Player of the Season Charlie Titcombe. The two centres are Exeter’s Max Courtis and Cardiff’s captain fantastic Luke Pollock, who are joined by a back three of Durham’s Paul Brown and Exeter duo Kofi Barton-Byfield and Dan John. It is also the second year running that Paul and Dan have made the Team of the Season to take that tally to four returners in 2022-23.
Over in the Women’s National League, we have a sea of Hartpury red across the team as the league and national champions have six players included in the XV. Second place finishers in the league Edinburgh have four players, finalists Exeter have three, while Cardiff Met and Durham have one player each.
Much like last year with Durham in BUCS Super Rugby, Hartpury dominate from numbers one to three in the Women’s National League team with Anouk Veerkamp, Amy Dale (returning to the squad) and their captain Evie Roach making up the front row. In the second row, Edinburgh’s Eva Donaldson is joined by Exeter’s Katrina Hayes. The rest of the forwards are made up of Hartpury’s engine Jordan Russell, Durham’s flanker Isabella Hannay and Exeter’s number 8 Niamh Orchard.
Moving into the backs, Cardiff Met’s sole representative Seren Singleton gets the nod at scrum-half, while Edinburgh captain Sarah Denholm is named at fly-half. They are joined by the league’s Player of the Season Charlie Mai-Manns at 12 and Edinburgh’s Holly McIntyre who keeps her place at 13. Completing the line-up is her teammate Cieron Bell who also keeps her place in the squad, Exeter’s Katie Buchanan and Hartpury’s Lucia Scott.
Massive congratulations to all the BUCS Super Rugby and Women’s National League award winners and Team of the Season members. A special thank you to all our final year players for giving so much to BSR and WNL - we wish you the best of luck on your next adventure, and look forward to welcoming you back as fans for years to come.
If the year just gone is anything to go by, we’re in for another epic season in 2023-24. With Cardiff joining the top women’s division, we have 10 BUCS Super Rugby and seven Women’s National League teams fighting for the most prestigious titles in the university game.
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