Rugby League honoured at 2014 Army Sports Awards

Correspondent

The Army Sports Awards this week saw the Army Women’s Rugby League Team honoured for their achievements in 2014.

The team were handed the award for Army Sports Team of the Year at the Guildhall in London.

Additionally, Staff Sergeant Sean Fanning was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Gaby Logan hosted the awards evening, while RFL chairman Brian Barwick was also in attendance.

Staff Sgt Fanning has served on an operational tour to Afghanistan in2012, and volunteered for his final operational tour as a multiple medic less than 12 months before leaving the Army.

He also founded the Rugby League-based charity ‘Soldiers League’, which raises funds for service charities. In addition, he has writtne a book documenting the history of Army Rugby League, the profits from which he has donated to the charity.

He also captained Great Britain Armed Forces in 2008 during the Armed Forces World Cup which they went on to win, beating the Australian Defence Forces 26-16 in Sydney.

The Army Women’s Rugby League Team remain unbeaten in the Inter-Services tournament since it started in 2008. The side also provides the backbone of the Great Britain Armed Forces Women’s Team.

The women’s team have enjoyed a successful and dominating season competing in the Challenge Cup, Hilary Steele Plate and the Inter-Services Competition.

They have an outstanding record this year with just one defeat in seven games. That loss came in the quarter-Final of the Challenge Cup against Thatto Heath where they ran the overall winners of the competition very close indeed.

“On behalf of the whole sport I would like to congratulate both the Army Women’s team and Staff Sgt Fanning on their awards, which are richly deserved,” said Brian Barwick.

“The growth of Rugby League in the Army is a terrific success story and these awards are further recognition of the huge strides the sport is making in the Armed Forces.”