Bird’s efforts recognised
Avon Rugby Club’s long-serving life member, Steve Bird, was recently nominated by the Somerset County constituent body to receive the RFU President’s Value the Volunteer Outstanding Contribution Award for 2021. This honour is part of the Honda Volunteer Recognition Programme.
As part of the award, recipients were invited to watch the England versus Tonga match at Twickenham as a guest of the RFU.
In addition to the wonderful match day experience with seats in the Royal Box, the award winners were given a guided tour of the Twickenham museum, a pitch-side tour of the stadium, a welcome by RFU Vice President Nigel Gillingham, a three-course lunch prior to the game and admission to the Members Lounge for post-match hospitality afterwards.
During the lunch and speeches, Bird was presented with a Valuethe-volunteer certificate by Peter Wheeler, the former England & British Lions hooker, together with a bottle of Bollinger and engraved champagne glasses to commemorate his contribution to local rugby in general and to Avon RFC in particular.
On receiving the award, he said: “This was a real surprise to be nominated and a huge honour, which I will gratefully accept on behalf of the small group of volunteers who have helped to run Avon over the years.”
Bird recently completed 50 years involvement with Avon RFC after making his 1st team debut as a 15 year-old schoolboy back in 1970 and has previously been club chairman for 14 years. More recently, he set up the Avon VIPS scheme and was instrumental in helping the club to achieve its RFU Accreditation.
He has also helped Avon to obtain loans from Sport England and the Rugby Football Foundation so that their facilities could be upgraded with a complete electrical re-wire and a new roof installed on the clubhouse and changing rooms. As well as maintaining the club’s website and writing their match reports, he recently wrote and published a book documenting Avon’s history to commemorate their 90th anniversary.
THE next meeting of the Bath & District Rugby Combination will take place on Wednesday, 7.30pm at Stothert & Pitt RFC’S clubhouse.