THE next generation of Darlington Mowden Park RFC players have celebrated a year of success as part of an annual awards ceremony.

Mowden Park’s Junior and Mini teams, which are divided into U7 and U18 groups, were all given medals at their Northern Echo Arena home ground.

And Mowden Park first team player, Rob Conquest, was on hand to present the player’s player, coach’s player and most improved player awards.

North-East fuel distributors, Oil NRG, were also present during the ceremony last week to celebrate a year of sponsoring the young athletes.

Team sponsorship has provided the pint-sized players with professional kits, similar to their senior counterparts.

Mowden Park Junior head coach, Mick Birch, said: “With Mowden Park enjoying much success on and off the field, we felt it would be great if the Junior and Mini Section coaches could secure some clothing sponsorship to appear as ‘one of the team’ rather than the slightly rag-tag bunch we were in non-matching gear.”

Roger Peart, Oil NRG’s managing director and Mowden Park’s U11 coach, said: “Rugby is a fantastically fun, demanding, and an inclusive sport that introduces boys and girls to some great life lessons without them even realising.”