Barber makes his own piece of history

Rugby Union

GARETH BARBER has created a piece of history for Oldham RUFC by becoming their first person to win back-to-back player-of-the-year awards.

Stand-off Barber repeated his feat of 12 months ago and also made it a double by landing the players’ player-of-the-year vote.

Manor Park captain Barber, who previously has played Rugby League for Oldham Roughyeds and Warrington Wolves, has been a massively influential figure in their North Lancs/Cumbria campaign.

Teenager Jack Taylor, who has broken into the first team this season, was named young player of the year.

Taylor, a back-row forward or full-back for the colts, has taken over the problem hooking role in the first team.

Taylor also landed the worker-of-the-year award for his off-the-field help.

The President’s Choice, for outstanding service to the club, went to Stuart Collinge and Dave Roscoe, the pair who have helped develop the exciting crop of young players.

Seventeen players under the age of 21 years appeared in Oldham’s first team which is testimony to the work they have done.

The captain’s awards for player of the season are: first team, Steve Molloy who has just announced his retirement; ‘A’ XV, Michael Collinge; Extra ‘A’, John Suitor; vets, Rick Brierley.

North Lancashire-Cumbria division, which features Oldham RUFC, has been extended from 12 to 14 teams for 2009/10.

But there is bad news for Oldham as the number of Cumbrian teams in their league has increased from six to eight - Kirkby Lonsdale, Upper Eden, Furness, Keswick, Netherall, Workington, St Benedicts and Wigton.