Matt Ratana Rugby Foundation Awards Evening
This is what it looks like when young people know they belong. On 19th May, coaches stood up one by one and told 36 young people - in front of their families, their teachers, and their community - exactly why they deserved to be celebrated. Not just for their rugby. For who they are. Wellbeing. Respect. Resilience. Fairness. Integrity. These aren't words on a wall at the Matt Ratana Rugby Foundation. They're the standard our young people are held to - and rising to - every single week. Read about the evening, the awards, and the young people who made it unforgettable.
On Tuesday 19th May 2026, young people and their families from across the London Boroughs of Croydon and Bromley, were invited to receive awards for their outstanding dedication to the improvement of their rugby skills, and most importantly for the commitment to upholding the values of The Matt Ratana Rugby Foundation. This very special evening of celebration, saw young people, their families and their teachers coming together from our partner schools. Also in attendance to congratulate the achievements of the young people and the foundation, were representatives from The Metropolitan Police Service, The Civic Mayor of Croydon – Cllr. Richard Chatterjee, and Matt’s partner, Su.
36 young people, ranging from Year 5 in Primary school to 19, were presented with awards, with a detailed summary offered by their coach/mentor to each and every individual explaining and celebrating publicly the reason for their award. This is central to our belief in the real value of the consistency of our coaching provision and methods in building meaningful, trustful relationships with young people in our communities. Players from our recently founded Matt Ratana Academy were recognised, in addition to those in our partner schools. Special awards were given to our Junior Coaches, who are among our older young people, and are being mentored by our coaches to develop their own coaching journey and profile. Young people from the following schools were recognised during the evening: Meridian High School, Thomas More Catholic School, Orchard Park High School, Riddlesdown Collegiate, Oxted School, Sackville, Imberhorne, Harris Academy Purley, Buller’s Wood School for Girls, Chislehurst Girls School, Langley Park Girls’ School, St Peter’s Primary, Forest Academy, Forestdale Primary, and Chestnut Park Primary School. Among the winners, were the overall Boys’ Player of the Year, Kobi from Thomas More Catholic School, and the overall Girls’ Player of the Year, Freya from Chislehurst School for Girls. Winners of the Matt Ratana Rugby Foundation 5 Pillars awards were: Maily from Buller’s Wood, Phoebe from Chislehurst School for Girls, Alfie from Orchard Park High School, Patrick from Thomas More Catholic School, and Lacey from Meridian High School.
Among the awards, were two for the boy and girl who most consistently and clearly demonstrated the values of The Matt Ratana Rugby Foundation, as well as their investment in their own rugby journeys. In addition, we recognised 5 young people, who were voted to be examples to others around them, by embodying the five pillars of the foundation, which are absolutely central to our mission to improve the well-being and mental health of ourselves and of those around us.
These values are:
WELLBEING AND INCLUSIVITY - WE WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL THAT THEY BELONG, AND WE WANT PEOPLE TO WELCOME OTHERS TOO, AND KNOW THE VALUE OF THAT.
RESPECT FOR PEOPLE AND CULTURE - WE WANT TO NURTURE MUTUAL TRUST, FUN, UNDERSTANDING AND RELATIONSHIP REPAIR.
BENEFITS OF TEAM SPORT - WE VALUE A SELFLESS COMMITMENT TO IMPROVED COMMUNICATION, RESILIENCE AND RESPONSIBILITY.
DISCIPLINE AND FAIRNESS - WE APPRECIATE HONESTY, AND WE RECOGNISE HOW BOUNDARIES KEEP EVERYONE SAFE
AND FINALLY, SPORTING VALUES - FAIR PLAY, INTEGRITY AND HUMILITY ARE STRENGTHS THAT WE WANT TO SEE.
It was a pleasure to have Su Bushby, Matt’s partner with us to present these five trophies. She spoke from the heart about how proud Matt would have been of all the young people on the programme, and especially of those who has shown so much growth both in character and skill.
A final award of the night, The Floyd Steadman Award, was given to a young woman who had called on resilience in the face of adversity, to flourish and achieve. She received The Floyd Steadman Cup, as well as a signed copy of Floyd’s book.
The journey of Floyd Steadman OBE DL in rugby is a testament to his resilience and determination, characteristics that our award winner this evening, Josephine from Thomas More Catholic School, has also shown in abundance.
Born to Windrush-generation parents, and raised in care, he overcame numerous challenges to become the first ever Black captain of a top-tier English rugby club - Saracens. His time at Saracens saw him play as a scrum-half and captain, leading the club to success in the 1980’s. After he retired from rugby, he transitioned into education, becoming a headmaster and mentor to many young people, including the England and Lions Captain, Maro Itoje, whom he inspired to play rugby. Floyd Steadman, through his determined resilience, has made a positive impact on the lives of others, making him a true role model for future generations.
Floyd was unable to be with us in person on the night, but sent a video, telling his story in brief, which can be viewed here:
To close the ceremony, we together viewed our most recent impact film from TackleLondon – the story of a young man and his relationship with rugby as a safe space for his emotional expression and the nurturing of positive relationships. You can view this here: