Sydney Rugby Union Awards
The Ken Catchpole Medal is named in honour of Ken Catchpole OAM, a former Australian Captain and NSW representative player who also played club rugby for Randwick. The Ken Catchpole Medal is awarded to the Shute Shield Player of the Year as voted by the tournament referees on a 3-2-1 basis over the 18 regular competition rounds. Points are awarded on the basis of a player’s consistency and contribution throughout a match, their point of difference in the game as well as overall best and fairest.
The David Brockhoff Medal is named after John David “Brock” Brockhoff OAM, an Australian and NSW representative player who went on to coach the national team from 1974-1976 and again in 1979. Brockhoff, who played and coached club rugby for Sydney University, also played eight tests as a flanker and remained involved in rugby in various coaching and administration roles until his death in 2011.
The Rookie of the Year is awarded to the player who has made his 1st XV debut in the current season and is voted as the standout newcomer in the Shute Shield competition. All clubs are asked to nominate two players for The Rookie of the Year and a judging panel selects the winner.
The Dick Byres Medal is named after long serving international referee and administrator, Dick Byres who devoted over 50 years to rugby union at international, national and state levels. In recognition of his service to the sport, Byres was named an Honorary Life Member of NSW Rugby Union in 2012. The Dick Byres Medal is awarded to the Shute Shield Referee of the year as voted by the Shute Shield coaches on a 3-2-1 basis.
We know that local rugby wouldn’t be the huge success it is today without the generosity and community spirit of our volunteers. The Charter Hall Community Spirit Award has been created to highlight, celebrate and reward the volunteers who have made a significant contribution and share their incredible stories. From volunteer coaches to groundskeepers and match officials, each club was asked to nominate up to two volunteers who have given their time and energy to make a difference.
Our nominees had to fufill three key criteria Care, Connect and Unify, and these formed the basis for the judging panel to select our winner.