Principality Premiership Awards

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It was a great night for Ebbw Vale RFC at the Principality Premiership Awards on Monday.

Ronny Kynes was announced as ‘Top Try Scorer’ with an amazing 19 touchdowns.
Ryan Gardner won the ‘Try of the Season’ vote for his scintillating finish against Cross Keys.
Damien Hudd, our own Captain Fantastic, was voted Player of the Year.

Huddy Player of the Year

Ebbw Vale RFC held their annual Club Dinner and Awards Evening at Eugene Cross Park on Friday 20th May. In front of a sold out crowd, the club celebrated winning the Principality Premiership for the first time and also presented their annual club awards.

Winners for 2015/16 were:

Clive Burgess Man of Steel David Williams

Denzil Williams Players’ Player of the Year Rhys Clarke

Ebbw Addicts Player of the Year Ronny Kynes

Ebbw Addicts Most Promising Player Chris Levesley

Ivor Evans Clubman of the Year
Damien Hudd

Gareth Howls Captain’s Award Damien Hudd

Ebbw Addicts Volunteer of the Year Angharad Simpson

Top Try Scorer
Ronny Kynes

Top Points Scorer Ronny Kynes

For the first time in the clubs history, the club awarded caps for players who had played 100 games for the club. Players receiving caps were:

Ashley Sweet, Damien Hudd, Cameron Regan, Ross Jones, Rob Sevenoaks, Mathew Williams, Dan Haymond and Ronny Kynes

The club were also presented with a Wales U20s shirt from Harrison Keddie following the successful Grand Slam season for the Wales U20s squad.

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Members of the 100 club wearing their caps.
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David Williams was the Clive Burgess ‘Man of Steel’. Nigel just had 2 good ideas!
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Ronny Kynes was voted Addicts’ Player of the Year and was also top try and points scorer.
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Rhys Clarke received the coveted Players’ Player Award.
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Chris Levesley: the EV Addicts’ Most Promising Player.
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Damien Hudd won the Gareth Howls Captain’s Award and the Ivor Evans Clubman of the Year Award.

Just in case you missed it, or want to watch it all over again, the WRU have conveniently put together the highlights consisting of Ebbw’s five tries and one of Ponty’s, plus an interview with MoM Ronny Kynes. You can find it here accompanied by Rick O’Shea’s slightly dodgy commentary – but at least he’s got the scoring system sorted this week!

The Steelmen make just one change to the matchday 23 for Sunday’s Principality Premiership Grand Final against Pontypridd at Sardis Road. Harrison Keddie comes in on the bench.

The squad is:
Dan Haymond, David Williams, Nathan Preece, Adam Jones, Jared Rosser; Dai Langdon, Chris Thomas; Ross Jones, Mathew Williams, Gethin Robinson; Damien Hudd (capt), Ashley Sweet; Rhys Clarke, Ronny Kynes, Cameron Regan.
Bench: Joe Franchi, Ian George, Rob Sevenoaks, Josh Jacas, Luke Crocker, Tom Edwards, Iain Smerdon, Harrison Keddie.

There’s a definite look of familiarity to the Steelmen’s match day 23 for Sunday afternoon’s play-off semi-final at Llandovery (2:30 ko).

Dan Haymond, David Williams, Nathan Preece, Adam Jones, Jared Rosser; Dai Langdon, Chris Thomas; Ross Jones, Mathew Williams, Gethin Robinson; Damien Hudd (capt), Ashley Sweet; Rhys Clarke, Ronny Kynes, Cameron Regan.
Bench: Joe Franchi, Ian George, Rob Sevenoaks, Josh Jacas, Luke Crocker, Tom Edwards, Iain Smerdon, Ryan Gardner.

The winners will travel to Pontypridd the following Sunday for the Premiership Grand Final. Head Coach Nigel Davies said, “”Getting to the play-offs is great and the boys have put a huge effort into the second half of the season and it’s the run of ten consecutive wins that’s allowed us the opportunity. We know we are going to have to be right on top of our game to beat Llandovery, but we have beaten them once already this season.”

Ronny Kynes has been named as the Welsh Rugby Writers’ Association’s “Premiership Player of the Year” for 2015-16. Beating off fierce competition from 12 other Premiership regulars, Ronny took the top prize, ahead of Llandovery’s Rhodri Davies. Everyone associated with Ebbw Vale RFC send warmest congratulations to the only current player in Wales to have a move named after him!

Ronny will receive his award at the 42nd annual dinner of the Welsh Rugby Writers, at Cardiff RFC on Thursday, September 1. He’ll be in the company of another back row forward with strong links to Eugene Cross Park, as Taulupe Faletau will be presented with the award for Welsh Player of the Year.

Hot on the heels of the above announcement comes the news that Ronny has also been named as Principality Premiership Player of the Month for April.
Ronny, a cult hero at Eugene Cross Park for his energy, work-rate all around the park and ‘Catch and Kynes’ move, has been turning heads all season, and particularly since the New Year. His performances in March helped Ebbw clinch three out of three league wins, and with two more wins in April they grabbed the third place position. Ronny puts the Steelmen’s consistency down to the togetherness in the squad built up over the last five or six years.
“There’s a brilliant environment at Ebbw Vale. I’ve been here five years and we have a consistent squad in training week in week out. Jason (Strange) did a lot of good work and Nigel (Davies) has done a great job since coming in last year too.
“I have to thank the forwards for doing all the hard work, I just take the glory when it comes to the ‘Catch and Kynes’ scores!
“We never doubted we could do well in the Premiership. Last year was a fantastic achievement to reach the final and we wanted to go one better this year and win. We left it late but luckily we found some consistency in the last couple of months and made the play-offs.
“Sunday will be tough at Llandovery, especially after they’ve won the Cup last week but we’re looking forward to it all the same.”
Natalie Stevens, Principality Building Society’s Ebbw Vale branch manager, said: “Ronny has had a great season for Ebbw Vale, helping them to another strong season in the Principality Premiership. He has scored some fantastic tries and we wish him and Ebbw Vale all the best for next season.”

Ronny Kynes factfile

Born: 18.8.86, Caerphilly
Club: Ebbw Vale
Position: Flanker
Education: New Tredegar Primary, Rhymney Comprehensive
First club: New Tredegar juniors and youth, first senior rugby at Tredegar before signing at Ebbw Vale
Occupation: Bricklayer
Inspiration: My father Billy ‘Irish’ Kynes. My parents have always supported my sport from the age of five or six, they still come to every game now and have kept me on the straight and narrow
Most admired rugby player: Richie McCaw
Most admired sportsperson: David Beckham