WARRIORS women have been celebrating their successes with a virtual awards night after the season was curtailed by coronavirus.

The team maintained their top-flight status, finishing last season strongly with three home wins on the spin coupled with try bonus points at Loughborough Lightning and reigning Premier 15s champions Saracens.

Despite the sudden end to the season, the team hosted its awards night via a Zoom call on May 16.

Promising wing Vicky Laflin scooped Most Improved Player, while versatile back-row Taz Bricknell and talented prop Akina Gondwe were named the Coaches Player of the Season and Club Person of the Year respectively.

Maddie Broadhurst received the S&C Award, while the Players’ Player of the Season went to second-row Elizabeth Shermer.

The Development Team, who signed off the campaign with an impressive 50-19 triumph at Gloucester Hartpury, honoured a series of players too, with Narcisse ‘Keki’ Jordan named Most Improved Player, Jen Vermeulen awarded Coaches Player of the Season and Jemima Moss the recipient of the Players’ Player of the Season accolade.

Keki played both first team and development rugby throughout the season, while Vermeulen and Moss continue their progression towards a place in the senior set-up.

Warriors Women director of rugby Jo Yapp said: “It was very difficult to chose who to give the awards to as all the girls have put in so much effort both on and off the field this year.

“The players did a great job of putting together a really successful awards evening online and it was a great opportunity to recognise everyone’s efforts this year.”

Most Improved Player Laflin, who won the Tri-Nations with England U20s in 2018, dotted down six times for Warriors last season, including a scintillating solo try at home to Saracens at the turn of the year.

Taking up rugby at the age of six, Laflin played for Readingensians Rugby Club prior to making the switch to Reading Rugby Club aged 13.

From there, she continued to impress and joined Warriors Women ahead of the 2017/18 season where she combines her studies at Worcester University with her passion for rugby.

Players’ Player of the Season went to consistent lock Shermer, whose expertise at the lineout coupled with her excellent skill set has earned her widespread praise during the 2019/20 season.

The Herfordshire-born athlete, who began her playing career with Harpenden, played for the University of Birmingham and was part of the team that went undefeated on the way to promotion to the BUCS Premiership.

Award Winners:

- Most Improved – Vicky Laflin

- Most Improved (Development Team) – Narcisse ‘Keki’ Jordan

- Coaches Player of the Season – Taz Bricknell

- Coaches Player of the Season (Development Team) – Jen Vermeulen

- Club Person of the Year – Akina Gondwe

- S&C Award – Maddie Broadhurst

- Players’ Player of the Season – Elizabeth Shermer

- Players’ Player of the Season (Development Team) – Jemima Moss