SCRUM half Joe Budd has been named Malvern Rugby Club’s Player of the Season.
Budd scooped two top awards at the club’s Presentation Night winning both ‘Players’ Player” and ‘Player of the Year’ which he received from President David Robins.
Budd came through the junior ranks as a youth player before going to Nottingham University where he captained their first team.
On returning to Malvern he quickly found his niche in the senior side, first at stand-off, then latterly in his favoured number nine shirt.
Other awards went to two more products of the Malvern youth system with Alec Stockwell winning the ‘President’s Cup’ for being outstanding young player in the senior teams, while Jake Hewer won the ‘Development XV Player of the Year’. His team colleague Ashley Budding was crowned the “Most improved Development XV Player”.
Will Gough won the award for “Most Improved 1st XV Player”, having quickly made his mark in the senior side since joining from Tenbury.
The prestigious ‘Chairman’s Cup’ awarded to the person who has done most for the club in the past season, was awarded to Rob Harker, whose efforts in succeeding to get Development and Third teams out were recognised.
In a climate where clubs are shrinking in terms of the number of teams playing each week, Harker has helped Malvern buck the trend with several members of the Club’s successful Colts eligible to play senior rugby, the future is looking healthy in both playing and off-field terms.