Twickenham Hosts Rugby Black List Awards
From grassroots rugby to the elite game, legends to local volunteers and referees and coaches to business leaders, Twickenham Stadium celebrated inspirational people from the black rugby community at the Rugby Black List Awards. Following last year’s inaugural event at the Palace of Westminster, the awards evening celebrated the contribution of the black rugby community to rugby and recognised their achievements across England.
The last award of the night epitomised both the progress being made and the need for it to continue. A tearful Ralph Knibbs, one of the Black List Awards founders, was stunned to hear his name called as one of three Life in Sport inductees. Forty years ago, as he set out on a 436-game career with Bristol, Ralph was “the only black player in the stadium. I was an inner-city kid who went to the local comprehensive, I had no confidence, was hiding in plain sight, without a single role model but luckily sport was my thing,” he said. “Rugby pulled me in and, at 17, I scored with my first touch of the ball and I had a great ride. Rugby allowed me to talk, express myself, gave me a pathway and the confidence to do things I never envisaged doing.”
Described as the best player never to play for England, Ralph turned down international honours twice, on the first occasion being unwilling to play South Africa in the apartheid era and on the second unable to get time off work. Looking out over the award winners, nominees and guests, he said: ”You guys are special people, rugby is a family, your ability, your colour doesn’t matter. The camaraderie of rugby has given me so much, it’s a broad church, everyone is welcome in a rugby club.”
For ‘Rising Star’ winner Sharifa Kasolo, rugby was discovered while an undergraduate at Loughborough University as she went along to an Inner Warrior camp for women new to the game at Blackheath. Describing the award as “such an honour” the Saracens back row has had a meteoric rise and been called into the England Women’s camp this season.
“There are more black women playing now but I think there’s more work to be done to have the accessibility needed. Being in the Red Roses camp has motivated me, it’s a different level. I would like to not only be there for other young black girls to come into the game but also for those joining the sport late to know if you work hard and push yourself you can make it happen.”
The other ‘Rising Star’ winner, Asher Opoku-Fordjour, had just won the Six Nations with England U20s, playing in every match of the campaign. “When I was young, I could see players like Maro Itoje, Ellis Genge, people to look up to, seeing them there at the top level helps to encourage more young black players,” he said. “I love playing for Sale Sharks and am so grateful for the opportunities they have given me and with the U20s it has been a great season. I’m so proud of the boys and I’m so proud to get this award. My family will be too, especially my mum, her help and support has been so special and given in abundance since I was a little kid at Broadstreet rugby club.”
The awards charity partner was ACLT, raising awareness about stem cell, blood, and organ donation, registering potential donors from all ethnicities, highlighting the extreme shortages of potential African and Caribbean donors, and providing support and advice to patients and families. In partnership with Old Redcliffian rugby club’s Try for Ellis campaign they were taking swabs from potential donors at the awards.
- www.aclt.org @acltcharity
Award winners and nominees
Performance Coach (sponsored by Thompson Plexus) was won by Joe Shaw, with Jordan Turner-Hall the other nominee.
Joe played for Sale Sharks, Northampton Saints and Newcastle Falcons and England Sevens. Before retiring, he coached Northampton Ladies, Newcastle University and Westoe Rugby Club, then joining Saracens as an Academy coach, became Skills Coach for the senior men's side in and is now Head Coach at Saracens.
Community Coach (sponsored by Trueline) was won by Aaron Lowe, with Lovejoy Chawatama and Martin Giraud as the other nominees.
Aaron works with Henley College building strong links between grassroots rugby and the player pathway, with the girls programme becoming a leading partner to Ealing Trailfinders and Brunel University. Part of the RFU Coach Education workforce, Aaron represents Jamaica 7s.
Community Leader (sponsored by ONYX Talent Team Culture) was won by Southwark Tigers, with Ellis Joseph and Sam Alfaraj the other nominees.
With their motto ‘rugby without barriers’, Southwark Tigers rugby club provides inner-London’s young people the same access to community sport as in many rural areas. Local schools lack facilities, parents are unlikely to have played rugby, but every Sunday over 150 boys and girls are at Burgess Park representing the rich tapestry of Southwark. Tigers also coach in 11 local secondary schools through their partnership with London Irish, with 177 sessions for 585 pupils over the season and facilitated over 136 matches between schools
Future Leader, sponsored by UK Flooring Direct was won by Ulundi Makhanya.
The Director of Commercial Partnerships at Northampton Saints, Ulundi brought up in the UK by South African parents, played rugby at school and university and had a stint at Exeter Chiefs. He worked in communications at the Rugby Players Association, in the British Triathlon commercial team, and first joinied Saints as Head of Commercial Partnerships. He was supported by Sporting Equals through the LeaderBoard programme
Rising Star, sponsored by Sporting Equals, was won by Asher Opoku-Fordjour & Sharifa Kasolo, with Chandler Cunningham-South & Reneeqa Bonner the other nominees.
Asher Opoku-Fordjour, the youngest of four brothers with a Ghanaian heritage, plays prop for Sale Sharks, having been in Wasps RFC’s Academy. He won the U20 Men’s Six Nations with England U20s, having played in every match of the campaign, played in the Junior World Cup last season.
Sharifa Kasolo joined Saracens at the start of the 2022/23 season and the back row’s barnstorming performances resulted in her being named as the club’s Players’ Player of the Season. An outstanding player in the PWR, Sharifa has been called into the Red Roses training squad.
Performance Player - Premiership Rugby (sponsored by Connor NFP) was won Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, with . Andy Christie and Ollie Lawrence the other nominees.
At just 21, Immanuel has earned three England caps and scored a try against Scotland in the Guinness Men’s Six Nations. He progressed through the Cardiff pathway and made his first team debut for Cardiff Blues against the Ospreys. Now playing for Exeter Chiefs he balances a professional rugby career with a medical degree.
Performance Player (sponsored by EBC) was won by Babalwa Latsha, with Deborah Wills and Rownita Marston-Mulhearn the other nominees.
Babalwa made history when in January 2020 she became the first African women’s rugby player to turn professional. Born in Cape Town, she is a role model to aspiring female rugby players as she plays in Harlequins front row in the PWR. Passionate about inspiring the next generation of women’s rugby players, she spends time in community projects, including coaching and mentoring.
Life in Sport (sponsored by Rebel Kitchen) was awarded to Martin Offiah and Debbie Innes-Turnill.
Martin Offiah, a legend across both rugby codes, had a playing career covering the 1980s, 90s and 2000s and union’s amateur and professional eras. He played at Ipswich RFC and Rosslyn Park and starred on the rugby sevens circuit and for the Barbarians. Spotted playing in the Middlesex Sevens, he was signed for Widnes in 1987 ending his debut season with 42 tries, as the league's top try scorer and winning Man of Steel. Over four seasons at Widnes, Martin scored 181 tries in 145 games. He joined Wigan in January 1992, making 159 appearances and scoring 186 times, with a total of 749 points. He also played for Eastern Suburbs in Australia, London Broncos and Salford Red Devils. In total Martin played 424 rugby league games and scored 446 tries. He returned to rugby union in 2001 to play a season with Wasps before hanging up his boots having graced both codes of rugby and become recognised as a truly global rugby player and personality.
Debbie Innes-Turnill became a rugby referee in 1991 when she moved to Gloucester and officiated for 26 years in both men’s and women’s rugby. Representing her country at three women’s Rugby World Cups and becoming the first woman on England Rugby’s National Panel as an assistant referee, in February 2007 Debbie was one of a team of three female officials at Twickenham when England women played Italy. The referee was Nicky Inwood from New Zealand, and she and Clare Daniels were Assistant Referees. A primary school teacher who became a headteacher after only six years, she subsequently became a lecturer in child protection and a safeguarding consultant, helping organisations to keep children and vulnerable adults safe. In 2023 she was featured in the 'Hundred Heroines' photography exhibition, celebrating the incredible contributions of women to everyday life in Gloucester.
Ralph Knibbs, Bristol's trailblazing black rugby player with huge talent and a warm, engaging personality, paved the way for future players of colour in the South West. His outstanding talent saw him in everyone’s dream team as, acclaimed as one of Bristol’s most gifted backs ever, he played 430 times for the club. Ralph is trusted by all, fights for fairness and since retiring from playing has won respect and friendship, mentoring many including Paul Hull now Head of Professional Game Match Officials and former England international and Bristol Bears Head Coach who says: “Ralph’s involvement in setting up the Rugby Black List, volunteering on the RFU Council Inclusion & Diversity Working Group and most recently, working with the charity star* scheme, show how passionate he is about inclusion and opportunities within rugby, and for that we thank him from the bottom of our hearts.
