Blues, Wales and Lions centre Jamie Roberts presented the Principality Premiership Player of the Year award to Newport captain Andrew Coombs and hailed the competition for its vital role in his development and that of young Welsh players.
Coombs lifted the Player of the Year trophy ahead of fellow nominees Scott Williams (Llanelli) and Joe Ajuwa (Llandovery). The 25 year old led his side by example throughout the season and earned a call-up to Paul Turner’s Dragons side for six games towards the end of the season.
Roberts, who was an integral player for Cardiff in the Principality Premiership only three seasons ago, winning a Principality Player of the Month award in March 2007, said, “The Principality Premiership gave me a great rugby grounding. Playing a high standard of rugby week in, week out is essential in order to make the step up to professional rugby and it’s also thoroughly enjoyable. Every year now, we are seeing players stepping up to regional and international rugby who have cut their teeth in the Principality Premiership and I know the standard is rising every season.”
Cross Keys, Dragons and Wales Under 20 back row Toby Faletau won the Principality Best Newcomer award, beating off challenges from Glamorgan Wanderers full back Dan Fish and Swansea centre Hanno Dirksen. Faletau has burst onto the scene this season, also earning a place in the Dragons back row and will board a plane for Argentina on Saturday with Phil Davies’ Wales Under 20 side.
Swansea head coach Richard Webster was awarded the Coach of the Year award after his side recorded their best league finish since the start of the semi-pro era, and reaching the final of the inaugural Principality Premiership Play-Off Championship. The other shortlisted coaches were Rob Appleyard of Llandovery and James Chapron of Pontypool.
The Principality Premiership clubs select the winners, in conjunction with the WRU Performance and Development department.
WRU Head of Rugby, Performance and Development Joe Lydon said, “The Principality Premiership provides a great platform for the development of players and the winners of these awards, along with the other shortlisted nominees are just some of those who have stood out this year. As with players who have previously been nominated for and picked up these accolades, the opportunity is now there for these individuals to take that opportunity and step up to the next level.
“Along with the outstanding young performers, Premiership clubs need a hard core of experienced and consistent performers around whom teams can be built and this year’s Player of the Year Andrew Coombs is certainly in that category and fully deserves this recognition.
“Toby Faletau is undoubtedly a great talent and we wish him, along with the other Wales Under 20 players Scott Williams and Dan Fish who were shortlisted for awards and Kristian Phillips, the Premiership’s top try scorer every luck at the forthcoming IRB Junior World Championship in Argentina.
“The Principality Premiership is not only a breeding ground for players, it is a great platform for the development of our coaches and referees and Swansea’s Richard Webster engineered some fantastic rugby this season in reaching their best ever Premiership league position.”
The Services to Rugby award, which recognises the unsung work carried out by club officials and volunteers around the country, was picked up by Llanelli’s Alan Thomas who has served his club since his days as a ball boy in the 1960s, while Pontypool received the Fair Play award for their treatment of match officials.
Two new awards were added to the ceremony this year with Neath’s Kristian Phillips recognised as top try scorer with 22 in the League season and Llandovery’s Cerith Rees receiving an award for finishing the league season as top points scorer with 261.
Principality Premiership Awards winners 2010
- Player of the Year – Andrew Coombs (Newport)
- Best Newcomer – Toby Faletau (Cross Keys)
- Coach of the Year – Richard Webster (Swansea)
- Services to Rugby – Alan Thomas (Llanelli)
- Fair Play Award – Pontypool
- Top Scorer – Cerith Rees (Llandovery)
- Top Points Scorer – Kristian Phillips (Neath)
