Chinnor RFC Under16 Squad were crowned Junior Sports Team of the Year at the Oxfordshire Sports Awards 2009; they were announced at a glitzy awards evening organised by the Oxfordshire Sports Partnership on Friday 13th November at the Kassam Stadium.

The team beat of very stiff competition from the Abingdon Vale Swimming Club Under18s and the Banbury Rugby Club Under11s to take the title of Junior Sports Team of the Year, a category sponsored by Oxford City Council Leisure Services.

Chinnor Rugby Football Club’s Under16 Squad (season 2008/2009) have had an extremely successful year having won the Oxfordshire League Championship trophy in March 2009, beating their old rivals, Henley RFC at Henley’s ground. They also won the International Under17 competition when the Squad travelled to Provins in France, on the early May Bank Holiday.

The Under16s have become role models at Chinnor Rugby Football Club and have put a marker down for all younger age groups to aim for. Many of the squad have been playing together since the Under7s Mini-Rugby at Chinnor, and as a result of solid coaching from the team of volunteers have built an unrivalled team spirit together. All of the boys have developed into outstanding athletes with a strong sense of playing by the rules and supporting their fellow team members.

Councillor Bob Timbs, Executive Board Member for Leisure and Sport presented the team with their trophy in front of over 320 guests. The team received a surprise gift from Dave Larham, Community Rugby Manager, London Wasps who invited the whole of the winning team together with their coaches to watch London Wasps in action versus Llanelli Scarlets on Sunday 31st January 2010 at Adams Park, High Wycombe

The awards aim to recognise the sporting talent and dedication we see across the county throughout the year. The awards featured special recognition awards for Oxfordshire clubs who had achieved Club Mark and Charter Standard Community Club accreditation. An informal world record attempt for the most number of return shots played in 60 seconds was attempted by Oxfordshire Table Tennis duo Karl Bushell (ranked No.1) and Neil Hurford (Ranked No.4). They put up a great performance and achieved 160, falling just short of the record which stands at 173 return shots played in a minute.

The 35 finalists in the 12 award categories were chosen from over 80 nominations in 2009. The amount of talent and true devotion and enthusiasm for their sport that was seen on the evening was enormous.

The full list of winners for 2009 are:

Club of the Year,
Oxford City Football Club
Disabled Sportsperson of the Year
Eleanor Hubbert – Witney Road Runners Athletics Club
Coach of the Year, sponsored by Gladstone Health and Leisure:
Lindsay Powell, City of Oxford Swimming Club
Extreme Sportsperson of the Year:
Tom Butler – Kite Surfing
Junior Sports Team of the Year, sponsored by Oxford City Council Leisure Services: Chinnor Rugby Football Club U16s (2008/2009 season)
Junior Unsung Hero, sponsored by Nexus Community
Alice Moger - Young Netball Lead and Assistant Coach
Sports Team of the Year, sponsored by The Oxford Science Park
City of Oxford Rowing Club, Women’s Tier 1 Squad
Junior Sportsperson of the Year, sponsored by RM
Holly Holden, City of Oxford Rowing Club
Unsung Hero
Maggie Fisher, Volunteer netball coach, Chair of Oxfordshire Netball, Treasurer of Vale Netball Club
Veteran Sportsperson of the Year:
Karl Bushell, Kidlington Forum Table Tennis Club
Sportsman of the Year
Keith Arnold, Record-breaking Oxfordshire cricketer, Minor Counties Cricket, Banbury Twenty Cricket Club
Sportswoman of the Year, sponsored by Fusion- Lifestyle
Hannah England, World class 1500m athlete, City of Oxford Athletics Club