Tavistock U11s rugby team held their end of season presentation with around 40 parents and players at the Chip Shop Inn enjoying an excellent evening in bright sunshine to round off a successful season. Graham Dawe, chairman of Rugby at Plymouth Albion was the guest of honour, generously giving his time to present the players with mementos for the season and the all important player of the year and players' player of the year awards. Coaches Tim Jackman and Keith Williams reviewed the season, which saw real development on the playing side with players experimenting in playing in some new positions and honing their skills in their more familiar positions and the arrival of new players with 20 players regularly enjoying their rugby on Sunday mornings. The season highlights included an unbeaten Easter tour to Gloucestershire, a win against Derbyshire touring team Belper in a competitive match and the narrow defeat by one try in the final of the Trevor Ward Foundation festival at Paignton. The players and their parents were reminded that former Tavistock College pupil, Graham Dawe, stated his rugby career as a full back before progressing to flanker and then to hooker where he won his England caps, emphasising the need to develop for young players to enjoy the variety of positions afforded by the game and the benefit of developing the key rugby skills at this stage of their rugby careers. After presenting the player of the year award to Alex Ferguson and the players' player of the year award to Barney Megicks, Mr Dawe stressed the most important thing was for the young players to enjoy their rugby and reminded them that it is a game which can enjoyed at all levels by all shapes and sizes of players. He inspired the young players with recollections from his own career and encouraged the boys and girls to spend a few minutes at the beginning and the end of a session on their own or with a partner working on the things that they were not so good at, whether it was kicking with the 'other ' foot or passing with the 'other' hand or catching high balls to improve their own individual skills. The Tavistock U11s are now looking ahead to next season when they will move up to U12 level and are always keen to welcome new players who want to play rugby. If you are a player who enjoyed the recent schools tag rugby festival, are looking forward to playing rugby at senior school next term or simply want to have a go, please get in touch through the club website http://www.tavistockrugbyclub.co.uk">www.tavistockrugbyclub.co.uk or call Tim Jackman on 01822 616952.