Inst player nominated for Vodafone 'Try Harder' Rugby award

Year 13 pupil Stephen Best (17) was nominated by the school's teacher in charge of rugby, Stephen Graham.

Stephen says of the young prop, "Stephen Best has made a good comeback from a serious shoulder injury last season and has forced his way back onto the lst XV."

Pauline Quigley, Head of Vodafone NI, says, “It’s encouraging to see the interest in rugby in Northern Ireland schools increasing year on year and to see new schools taking up the sport each year.

“At Vodafone NI we hope that the Try Harder awards encourage boys to do their best when playing rugby and while training. The awards will go to the boys who Try Harder and not necessarily the best players.”

The Awards are open to every second-level school affiliated to the IRFU Ulster Branch.

Rugby coaches and teachers may nominate any number of players for the awards. The nominees may be of any age and play at any level of rugby in the school, including players who are not regulars on a team. Vodafone offers the winning player a sports voucher for 200, his school gets a voucher for 300 and the nominating coach or teacher receives a mobile phone from Vodafone.

Nominations for the next award must reach the address on the nomination form by April 10.

* ULSTER Rugby Development Officers are out and about in schools across Coleraine and the North Coast this month, talking to pupils about this year’s Summer Camps and the new Easter ‘Taster’ sessions taking place in April.

The Ulster Rugby Summer Camps, sponsored by independent retail group Centra since 2008, will take place at 15 different locations province-wide and are for boys and girls aged 6-12 years.

The Easter taster sessions will take place in Coleraine between April 7 to 9.