Rugby Black List Awards acknowledge community achievements

The event at Twickenham Stadium was attended by a host of current and former international players including the likes of Ugo Monye, Shaunagh Brown and Andy Christie, they saw 11 winners across eight categories.

Performance Coach, sponsored by Thompson Plexus, was won by Joe Shaw, who spent 11 years in professional rugby with Sale Sharks, Northampton Saints and Newcastle Falcons, as well as playing internationally for England Sevens. Coaching was always an interest and long before his retirement Joe coached Northampton Ladies, Newcastle University and Westoe Rugby Club.

Joe joined Saracens initially as an Academy coach and moved into his role as Skills Coach for the senior men's side in the summer of 2013. Ever since, he has played a key role in Saracens' skill execution and been integral to the club’s successful coaching team. He is now Head Coach at Saracens and setting an example to players and coaches as a role model within the coaching world.

Community Coach, sponsored by Trueline was awarded to Aaron Lowe who, throughout his coaching career, has demonstrated outstanding levels of care, empathy and understanding.

Currently working with Henley College to build strong links between grassroots rugby and the pathway, Aaron has committed huge amount of time and effort to players he works with. Aaron’s work has resulted in the Henley College Girls Programme becoming a leading partner to Ealing Trailfinders and Brunel University. He also is on the RFU Coach Education workforce and represents Jamaica 7s.

Southwark Tigers RFC won the Community Leader, sponsored by ONYX Talent Team Culture, title.

The club has established itself as a key community asset over its 25-year history, striving to provide the young people of inner London with an opportunity to receive the same access to community sport that many in rural areas take for granted. Despite barriers to access and facilities that clubs in London have, every Sunday over 150 boys and girls come down to pitches in Burgess Park to play a sport that none of them would have the opportunity to play had Southwark Tigers not existed.

Since 2018 Southwark Tigers have proactively been working with local secondary schools to provide them with weekly professional rugby coaching.

Future Leader, sponsored by UK Flooring Direct, was given to Ulundi Makhanya, a director of Commercial Partnerships at Northampton Saints. Brought up in the UK, to South African parents, he attended Dulwich College after playing throughout his school and university career and had a stint at Exeter Chiefs.

His career began at the RPA with a communications role, before working with British Triathlon for the best part of ten years in the commercial team. Makhanya began working at Northampton Saints in 2018, and has risen from Head of Commercial Partnerships to Director of the department.

With support from Sporting Equals through the LeaderBoard programme, he has been vocal about the importance of Inclusion and Diversity within sport.

Two people walked away with the Rising Star title, sponsored by Sporting Equals.

Asher Opoku-Fordjour moved to Sale Sharks in November 2022 after Wasps went into administration and his rise has been meteoric. Just a year after joining he made his senior team debut in the Premiership Cup and his Premiership debut a few months later still at the age of 19.

Eye-catching performances followed against Harlequins, Leinster and Saracens with Joe Marler co-signing his credentials as a future star. A mainstay in the England U20s team, he was a huge part of the 2024 Six Nations-winning team and there are big things to come.

Sharifa Kasolo was a late starter to rugby compared to many playing for the first time when studying at Loughborough University. Kasolo joined Saracens at the start of the 2022/23 season and has made her presence keenly felt with a series of barnstorming performances which resulted in her being named as the club’s Players’ Player of the Season.

Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, 18, was awarded Performance Player: Premiership Rugby, sponsored by Connor NFP.

Feyi-Waboso made his first-team debut for Cardiff Blues against Ospreys and, after time at Wasps and now Exeter in the Premiership, he now balances a professional rugby career with a medical degree.

Capped in the 2024 Six Nations for England he scored his first international try in his third appearance in the game against Scotland this February.

Performance Player: PWR, sponsored by EBC was given to Babalwa Latsha who made history when she became the first African women’s rugby player to turn professional in January 2020.

Born in Cape Town, she started playing rugby out of curiosity and fell in love with the game. Latsha has made an impact in the front row for Harlequins and holds values very important to the Rugby Black List - she is passionate about inspiring the next generation of women’s rugby players, investing her time in community projects, coaching and mentoring.

Martin Offiah, Debbie Innes-Turnhill and Ralph Knibbs were awarded Life in Sport, sponsored by Rebel Kitchen.

Offiah is a true legend of the game across both codes of rugby. His union playing career spanned the amateur and professional eras and book-ended an outstanding professional league career. He played across the three decades of 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.

Innes-Turnill became a rugby referee in 1991 and officiated men's and women's games for 26 years, representing her country at three women’s World Cups and becoming the first woman on England Rugby’s National Panel as an assistant referee.

Knibbs was a trailblazer as a black rugby player for Bristol, helping to carve the pathway for all future players of colour to play in the South West.

His involvement in setting up the Rugby Black List, volunteering on the RFU Council Inclusion & Diversity Working Group and most recently, working with the charity star scheme, show how passionate he is about inclusion and opportunities within rugby.

The awards charity partner was ACLT, raising awareness about stem cell, blood, and organ donation, registering potential donors from all ethnicities, highlighting the extreme shortages of potential African and Caribbean donors, and providing support and advice to patients and families.

In partnership with Old Redcliffian Rugby Club’s Try for Ellis campaign they were taking swabs from potential donors at the awards.

To find out more visit rugbyblacklist.com.