Rugby Club Luxembourg looked forward to the opening of the new artificial playing pitches in Cessange at its annual Gala Ball and Awards ceremony, which was held at the Hotel Royale in Luxembourg city centre last weekend.
In total, over 100 guests joined the party, which started with a drinks reception generously sponsored by PWC. Club President David Evans welcomed the guests and thanked all of the volunteers, coaches, parents and supporters, whose efforts keep the club going year to year.
This season saw teams in each age group performing strongly. The under 19s side won their league in Belgium, while the senior men’s side won their regional qualifying league, before going on to eventually finish 4th overall in the German Bundesliga 2nd division, a creditable performance.
The evening itself moved along with the presentation of the club’s awards and the ubiquitous raffle, where RCL senior player John Fitzpatrick was the lucky winner of first prize, flights for two to Rome, courtesy of Luxair. It has been a memorable year for John, originally from Waterford in Ireland, following on from his selection for the Luxembourg national side.
The club was delighted to welcome South African rugby legend Percy Montgomery as its VIP guest. Percy won the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France as a member of the legendary Springboks and he took part in the award presentations and spoke about his career.
The award winners were:
- Most Improved Senior Player: Bill Koch
- Senior Player of the year: Francisco Tolomei
- Hamish Irwin Award: Edoardo Angioni
- Stuart Patterson Award: Mick Fox
- Clubman Award: Peter Hartmann
- JP Morgan Trophy: Dominique Sweetnam
The club will now be busy over the summer planning for the new season. The installation of an all-weather pitch at the Stade Boy Konen in Cessange will be a significant and long-awaited development for the sport in the region as it will allow for much greater availability and will mean that there will be a usable pitch throughout the winter.
The club is also partnering with the new Eirelux store in Howald to have a point of sale for the club’s playing kit and general rugby supplies. Conveniently located near the Cessange playing grounds, having a dedicated rugby shop open 7 days will be a major benefit to everyone involved in the club.
The new season starts in August and for anyone interested in joining or taking up the sport, full details are available on the club’s website at www.rcl.lu
Photos by Liam McEvoy
