On 14th November, over 150 members, guests and friends of the society gathered at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel in London for the 2019 Annual Society Dinner.
It was a hugely successful evening, which provided a great opportunity for our community to come together and celebrate the successes of the last 12 months. We were delighted to be joined by friends and colleagues from across the game, including the presidents of our constituent regions, representatives and officials from the Rugby Football Union and a guest referee on exchange from Japan.
Following a wonderful three course dinner, the centerpiece of the evening was an audience driven Q&A session with World Cup 2019 Official and Gallagher Premiership Referee Karl Dickson, chaired by our very own Mike Woods. The insights offered by Karl into his experiences were fascinating, with his candour and honesty appreciated by all.
Karl Dickson
Alongside this, the evening provided an opportunity for the society to thank our own members for their significant contributions across our regions and the society as a whole. Peter Wakefield was recognised with the President’s Award for his distinguished - and ongoing - contribution to the society over the years, particularly for his coaching and mentoring of up and coming referees. Regional awards were also presented for outstanding service and contributions to the following members:
North: Paul Carroll
South East: Jeff Farmer
South West: John Payton
West: Rob Park
Midweek: Kelvin Pryer
Peter Wakefield
Jeff Farmer
In addition, over £1400 was raised for Karl’s charity of choice - Niamh's Next Step: a childhood cancer charity – through an epic game of Heads or Tails, which also saw society stalwart, Frank Venner, take home two tickets to a 2020 England Six Nations match.
A selection of photos from the evening can be seen below, which will also shortly be shared on our social media channels. To request any original copies, please email website@londonrugby.com.
We would like to take this opportunity to once again thank all those who attended and helped make this a spectacular celebration of the society. The organising committee will shortly be sending out feedback surveys to help us ensure that next year’s dinner is even more special. We look forward to seeing you all then!
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