It was only right to have a great celebration at the Petersfield RFC Clubhouse, after two dominant campaigns for the 1st and 2nd XV, which saw both teams go unbeaten and promoted for the 2024/25 season. Led by Petersfield veteran Dan Luff, the night was full of festivities, with more than a few players in contention for the prestigious awards.

Kicking off with the 1st XV, there were a lot of hard and thoughtful decisions made in the process of selecting these players - so let’s begin with the numerical awards.

Leading the overall scoring charts was a familiar name at Petersfield, someone who has been a key factor in the team’s performance, as well as being a coach and an important influence for the strong U16 boys team, it’s Nick Blumlein taking home the crown for the Top Points Scorer. With a great season off the boot, racking up over 60 successful kicks, combined with a healthy 7 tries, Blumlein bagged 267 points in total and the fly-half will be raring to get on the pitch next season and take on a new league.

With just under 1000 team points for the year, there was an abundance of tries scored this season, but the man who scored the most tries was our very own Matt McLean and takes the title of 1st XV Top Try Scorer, with a gargantuan 24 tries. With an insane rate of 1.84 tries a game, you’d lose money betting on the outside centre not to score.

Now we approach those hotly contested awards.

At Petersfield, we are a club committed to bringing players up through the ranks, with a large chunk of our team this year earning their colours whilst coming up through our Colts and Academy system. Because of this, the club are proud to announce that George Davis is the 1st XV Young Player of the Season, after a breakout season which saw him amass 18 tries in 19 games this season. Only missing one game during the season, Davis’ commitment was outstanding and his performances on the pitch would be described with the same words by onlookers at Penns Place. Featuring primarily on the wing, with a few cameos at outside centre, Davis would often be seen bursting down the pitch, either carrying in for a try or in support of a teammate. The team will certainly miss him when he resumes his studies next year at university, but hope to see him return in the future.

As previously mentioned, there were multiple standout players this year for the 1st XV, but when it comes down to the players’ vote themselves, there was one man who won the most votes, so Petersfield are happy to award Karter Whittock with the 1st XV Players’ Player of the Season. Having joined Petersfield this season from Alton, Whittock made an instant impact on the team, bringing an intensity and physicality which uplifted not only the back row he played in, but the squad as a whole. Upon joining Petersfield, the back row was an extremely competitive area, but Whittock instantly put his case forward and is now one of the first names on the sheet each week, and will be a key player for the team next season when they head to Regional 2 South Central. Thankfully, the standout performances were not missed, as Whittock was called up to play for Hampshire RFU this season.

Concluding the 1st XV, we are left with the final prize - the Player of the Season. If you ask anyone who attended a Petersfield game this year, they’d probably give you the same name -. Will Mathews. After a hiatus season last year, Mathews rejoined Petersfield with a real intention of proving his critics wrong, and he did exactly that. Happy to line up at inside centre or fly-half (mainly the former this season), the playmaker was the influential figure in a talented backline, often taking the ball at first receiver and leading the charge against the teams of Hampshire Counties 1. Perhaps his work was not all seen this year, but the organisation of the attacking and defensive line ensured that the Red and Green’s structure remained constant throughout the unbeaten campaign. The coaches were all in agreement with this decision and eagerly look forward to the further development of Mathews’ game.

It would hardly be a good read without the mention of the Mighty 2nd XV. Much like the 1st XV, the 2s racked up an impressive scorecard with 582 points, in only the 10 games. Whilst it may have seemed like everyone was getting over the line, there was only one man who topped the charts this year. With an impressive 10 tries, Jordan Allan is the man who wins the 2nd XV Top Try Scorer. Playing all along the back line, Allan was able to find the line on numerous occasions through a dogged work-rate and physicality.

The 2nd XV was lucky enough to see a multitude of players compete and throw on the shirt this year, and their votes struck out the winner for the 2nd XV Players’ Player of the Season, Jay Bremner. An absolute stalwart of Petersfield Rugby, with over 15 years at the club, Bremner stepped up this season and donned the number 10 shirt for the 2s, as they marched onto an invincible season, which their point tally indicates. Not only does Bremner have bags of experience, but we’re told that he is also heavily invested in the musical side of Petersfield Rugby, with more renditions to come. Hopefully, the 2s will be singing next season as they soar up the leagues and take on Hampshire Counties 2 for the 2024/25 season.

Over the years, the Petersfield Academy has churned out numerous players to go on and play for the senior section, as mentioned. This player has had an interesting route to his new found position, from working in the pack in the academy, to attending university and playing cricket, to coming back to Petersfield this year and finding himself all along the backline, Toby Colwood is your 2nd XV Player of the Season. Happy to line up at any needed position in the backline, Colwood found himself at 10, 12 or 13 this year and was able to deliver his unique skill set from each of these positions, happily slotting conversions whilst also getting his hands on the ball and making valuable contact metres. His noticeable performances also saw him earn his 1st XV debut this year, featuring a handful of times, just proving the depth of talent that the club is producing these days.

A huge congratulations to all the award winners on the night, and a giant thank you to our clubhouse team for organising such an amazing night.