The Honda Volunteer of the Year Awards 2025 will celebrate volunteers across rugby for their achievements over the past 12 months.
Nominations for the 24/25 awards will open Monday 6th January - Friday 14th February (17.00).
Nominations can be submitted for either an individual, or a group of volunteers, who have gone above and beyond over the past 12 months.
With nominees recognised at a local level, before a national awards event, with finalists selected by a national panel.
To relive the excitement of last year's Honda Volunteer of the Year Awards see below.
Honda Volunteer of the Year 2025 Categories
A volunteer or group of volunteers who have gone above and beyond, often working behind the scenes, to create positive experiences.
The nominee has:
• Undertaken several key tasks to support the club/organisation and can always be relied upon to lend a hand, often behind the scenes (for example organising events, maintaining facilities, supporting administration)
• Has shown an open mind-set and a willingness to adapt as rugby develops (for example enhancing social media, engaging new sponsors, introducing new processes or platforms)
• Shown a willingness to go above and beyond for the sake of the club/organisation and its members.
An individual or a group of volunteers who have developed an inspiring offer to make the game more accessible & attract new audiences or created a flexible and engaging offer to retain current players.
The nominee has:
• Inspired people from a range of backgrounds to play rugby, with an emphasis on those under-represented within the sport
• Thought outside the box to remove barriers to make rugby accessible
• Developed playing opportunities to meet changing lifestyles & help recruit and retain players*
• Worked with partner organisations to broaden playing opportunites
*Examples of this could include but are not limited to T1 Rugby, Game On, flexibility of when games are played, initiatives to retain 14–18-year-olds or supporting Age-Grade to Adult Rugby.
An individual or a group of volunteers who have strengthened the club/organisation’s presence within the local community, helping to establish the club/organisation as a central part of community life.
The nominee has:
• Helped the club have a strong presence in the community; whether actively participating in community events or supporting local charities and initiatives
• Provided opportunities for people within the community to engage with the club on or off field.
• Ensured that they provide a welcoming environment to all members of the community by providing suitable facilities & a friendly environment
We’ve put together some top tips to consider when writing the application:
1. Check the summary for each of the awards to ensure you are nominating for the right one and make sure you consider the criteria for that award category
2. Nominations should include evidence to support and illustrate the impact and achievements of the nominee(s), and where possible be supported by facts and figures
3. Keep to the word limit and ensure the information provided is concise and relevant. With a word limit of 250, this could mean that some answers are provided in bullet point format
4. The awards are focussed on activity which has taken place over the past 12 months (1st January – 31st December 2024)
5. Once you have drafted an application, it may be worth asking someone else within the club to have a look over the application
Full Terms & Conditions can be found here.
Who can nominate?
We welcome nominations from across the rugby community, with people able to nominate volunteers from either clubs (including school, college or university environments), Constituent Bodies & referees societies for the work they have done over the last 12 months. The Honda Volunteer of the Year Awards recognises work done from 1st of January 2024 to the 31st of December 2024 and the entry should reflect that. You can nominate either an individual or a group of volunteers for a national award.
As the awards celebrate volunteers, we ask that you nominate volunteers rather than those who are paid for their work.
How do I nominate?
Once live you can submit your nominations online. Nominations open Monday 6th January - Friday 14th February (17.00).
The nomination form is made up of a couple of questions to demonstrate the volunteers impact. There is a word limit per question and you will have the option to upload a video to support the application and bring to life why you are nominating this person/group of people.
If you’re having trouble nominating, please contact volunteerrecognition@rfu.com.
What information will the nomination form ask for?
Once you have selected the number of volunteers you want to nominate & which category you would like to nominate them in you will see the questions. Please note the criteria listed is for guidance only and the list can be expanded to bring in other achievements which you feel are relevant.
You will be asked to provide your details; these will be used if we want to find out more about the nominee or if you have not provided contact details for the individual you are nominating and we need to contact them. Providing the contact details of the nominee is optional but highly recommended as it enables us to communicate with them throughout the process. Please ensure they are happy for you to provide this before including it.
Am I able to submit more than one nomination?
You can make multiple submissions and enter several categories. To do so you will need to complete a new submission for each entry. If you’re not sure which category to nominate for, there is the option to select ‘I’m not sure’.
What happens once I have submitted a nomination?
Nominations will be shared with the club’s constituent body for review and to put forward a shortlist to the national panel, who will select the national finalists.
If someone doesn't win, will they know they've been nominated?
Each nominee will receive acknowledgement of their nomination at a local level from their Constituent Body.
When will the National Awards take place?
Finalists will be invited to an event at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham in August, where the overall winners will be announced.
