SOUTH Craven schoolteacher Richard Hughes won the Spirit of Rugby accolade at the West District of the Yorkshire RFU Volunteer awards.

Hughes is head of PE at the Cross Hills-based school, where he has taught for eight years.

After picking up the award at Bradford & Bingley Sports Club, he said: “I have played rugby for many years and really enjoyed it and it is really important to get as many of our students involved in rugby because it is a great sport and they will have a great experience.

“The seven core RFU values that we promote in rugby really set the kids up for a great start in life as well as sport, and we work very closely with Keighley RUFC, where the support we receive is invaluable.

“We had rugby at the school when I arrived, thanks to my predecessors, and it was my job to build on that, playing as many fixtures as we can and embedding it into the curriculum so that all of the kids get an opportunity to play it.

“We try and run teams throughout the school, and definitely at Key Stage Three and Key Stage Four, which is under-12s to under-16s, and if we can we will get a senior squad out as well.

“We had lads in representative rugby for Yorkshire last season and this, where Dylan Hanson has been doing really well.

“He has been jumping around in terms of positions but has been in the forwards recently.

“We play a lot in the White Rose Festivals, which is fantastic, and it is just a matter of getting fixtures against other schools, such as Ermysted’s, Skipton Academy, Settle, Parkside, Bingley Grammar and Beckfoot, and we have even had sessions at Giggleswick.”