The men and women of Bowdoin rugby proved their worth both on and off the field this season, according to the referees.
The Bowdoin rugby teams have been honored by the New England Rugby Referees Society, winning the John Hayes Award. The award is given annually to teams for their sportsmanship, fair play, and the treatment of their match referees.
"The award is prestigious," referee Gary Devoe said. "There are (at last count) 227 rugby teams in the New England Union, and the award goes to just one club each year. Bowdoin should be proud to have won the award twice since its inception in the early 1990s."
Devoe said that the Bowdoin men's team is the only club to have won the award twice.
"This award of recognition by the New England Rugby Football Union will finally shed light on the positive contributions made by our team and our continuing emphasis on respect and sportsmanship both on and off the field," said captain Dan Jaffe '07.
The Hayes award, named after a long-time New England rugby referee, is important within the New England rugby community.
After each match, the presiding referee grades each team on multiple factors, from pre-game amenities to player conduct, and at the end of the season the team with the highest rating wins the award.
"The idea is to encourage tasteful and safe development of the game of rugby on part of the participating teams as well as to encourage [the respectful] treatment of referees," Devoe said.