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Rugby Americas North (RAN, formerly NACRA) has announced the winners of three annual awards – Spirit, Achievement, and Development – recognizing excellence and embodiment of the sport’s core values. One team and two individuals have been named as recipients.
The 2015 Spirit of the Game Award has gone to Simone Pantor of Trinidad & Tobago. President of the Exiles Youth Rugby Club in Gasparillo Village, Pantor has made a significant contribution to her club as both a coach and administrator. She is a passionate member of the TTRFU and an ever-present at events helping in a number of roles.
Winning the 2015 Achievement Award is the USA Men’s Eagles 7s team. Under the guidance of head coach Mike Friday, the Eagles made history with their first ever HSBC Sevens Series cup victory in London. They also won the 2015 NACRA 7s event in North Carolina, in doing so qualifying for the 2016 Olympic Games.
Darrin Barner is the 2015 Development Award winner. As head coach of the Wayne State College Women’s team he has overseen back-to-back national championships in the NSCRO 7s and won national XVs titles in 2012 and 2013. Most remarkable is that only two players have arrived at the program with previous rugby experience since the program’s inception in 2002. Barner has also been instrumental in the creation of a five-field, 25-acre rugby facility that hosts an annual tournament with 90 teams.
