Rugby- A double for Gillbard at Under-15's presentations

Last season's Under 15's from Liskeard/Looe Junior Rugby Club, together with parents and friends, totalling nearly 70, enjoyed a meal and presentation evening at the Hotel Nebula on Friday.

Trophies in the form of inscribed tankards were presented by coaches Roger Gailer and Mike Strand, coach Gailer remarking on how difficult the choice had been, due to all players having had such a good season.

They chose two players of the year. They were squad captain and No 8, David Hannah, (St Cleer), who also captained the schools' county side, and hooker Jon Strand (Tremar Coombe). It was a double triumph for winger Tom Gillbard, (Crows Nest), who was not only voted the players' player but also the spectators' player. Mr Gailer said it was a tribute to the team as a whole that in the latter section, ten different players had been nominated.

In a humorous speech, Mr Gailer mentioned every member of the squad, and each player received an individual memento of the season. He said the team had developed into a formidable side in the county, who had been CRFU championship runners-up against Truro, and playing in the colours of Liskeard School had won the county school championships against Newquay. They had also gone through to the final 16 in the Daily Mail Championships, being defeated after a titanic struggle by Wellington Public School for Boys, who went on to the final at Twickenham, the Liskeard match result being printed in the commemorative brochure. From that it was evident that the squad had run them the closest and they were the only Comprehensive School left in the competition.

Coach Gailer said the team had accumulated over 650 points during the season, conceding just over 100, and he considered the best match, although lost 19-29, to be against Aystrad Mynack, a Welsh team which Liskeard take as a yard stick. They beat every team in Cornwall apart from Truro.

Captain David Hannah thanked the coaches and presented them both with tankards from the team, and also to Mr Rob Daniel, a parent, for the weekly help he had given to the forwards especially. He also thanked and presented wine to Roy and Sally Coffin and Toni and Viv Twornicki, for organising the tour to Wales and and Gloucestershire.

Coach Gailer announced that this year's tour would be to Kent at Easter.