Phil Rees of Bridgend Athletic wins 'Club Character' award and £10,000 for his club.
As a supplier to the majority of Welsh Rugby clubs, Molson Coors wanted to create something special for the smaller clubs. Rugby clubs need to be stronger businesses, and can only do this by improving and renovating facilities with the support of volunteers, the community and the brewery.
Molson Coors has a long heritage in Wales going back over 125 years supporting the great game at every level during that time. Indeed proud and passionate sponsors of the Ospreys since their very inception. But as Gerwyn Jones RD Molson Coors, Sales Managing Director said “we are about more than just safeguarding the place of rugby as our national game.”
They are also about helping communities thrive, thanks to a shared passion for the game. The company believes in the ability of rugby to bind people and communities together for the greater good of all. This explains their enthusiasm for supporting local grass roots rugby.
They always suspected that in “Grass Roots” Welsh rugby clubs there were outstanding people who were literally the “lifeblood” of their clubs. The heart and soul not only of their club but also their communities. But how could these special people be found, to discover the real character that are at the heart of most local clubs?
Molson Coors advertised across South Wales and in the clubs themselves asking for nominations for their own “Club Character”. £10,000 was offered to be spent on the development or improvements at the winners own club. Entries rolled in and on judging day over 60 entries from clubs across South Wales were received.
It really was a very difficult task to arrive at a final “overall” winner. Such was the quality and calibre of the entries that the panel had a difficult selection process. A final short list of twelve was arrived at, and then after much deliberation a very “Worthy” winner was chosen.
This was, Philip Rees of Bridgend Athletic RFC. An amazing man who helped found his club in 1972 and has been pivotal in so many rolls, leading to the great success of his club on and off the field over the last forty years, Bridgend Athletic RFC being of course part of the Ospreylia family.
Molson Coors would like to thank all the clubs very much for their fabulous entries and taking part in this activity, the time and effort taken was appreciated. Sadly, as is the way there could only be one winner. This excellent initiative has only reaffirmed that in Welsh rugby we really do have some outstanding human beings who are in themselves the real “Character” of our great game.
So while Bridgend Athletic RFC are about to revamp their clubhouse thanks to Philip Rees, Molson Coors wishes all clubs good luck for future success, both on and off the field. But congratulations must also go to two other Ospreys regional clubs who made the final twelve. These being John Pearman of Porthcawl RFC and Maldwyn Summers of Pencoed RFC both fantastic individuals and great servants to their respective clubs.
As Gerwyn Jones Molson Coors, Sales Managing Director said;
“I believe that a person’s rugby club can play a pivotal role in their lives. It can be a focus for people, getting them outdoors not only playing the game but giving them the opportunity to talk and mix socially. Rugby is more than a game. A vibrant local club can give people and communities a shared passion and a sense of belonging. In this day and age that has to be worth protecting.”