Harrogate Rugby Club returned for their Annual Dinner to the Old Swan Hotel on Thursday 28 April 2022, with guest speaker Brian Moore proving to be a great attraction.
This is the 150th year anniversary celebration for the Harrogate rugby club, and over three hundred guests were able to celebrate in style with their first dinner in two years. The MC for the night was Kevin Lynch, a former football league referee well known for his amusing anecdotes.
Organiser Mike Cowling welcomed all guests, including the main dinner sponsors Emsley Crane Hire. Other sponsors present were Apollo Capital, Harrogate Wealth Management, Richard Austin Alloys, CBRE, Laver Regeneration and Tellermate.
Mike Cowling said:
It was great to see a record number of over a hundred junior parents and coaches present, and also the Touch Rugby section managed by Tony Lewis, which is attracting over forty players a session for this growing sport. The guest list included many former players and current supporters, so it was wonderful to see everyone coming together to celebrate the many areas of club activity, and to look forward with confidence to a strong future. Major improvements to the club’s facilities are planned over the coming years, and the charity status achieved during lockdown will be helpful to achieving those aims.
The top table guests included former Harrogate internationals Peter Squires and Roger Shackleton, with former ‘England Rugby’ doctor Terry Crystal auctioning some England international tickets. The silent auction was run by Impulse Decisions, which is managed by ex-Harrogate player James Marsden.
Brian Moore spoke about his career and experiences inside and outside of rugby. Chairman Iain Salkeld announced the new appointment of Martyn Wood as the new Director of Senior Men’s Rugby, which drew great applause. The dinner is a key event in the calendar, and raised over £12,000 for club funds.
