Bishop’s Stortford RFC captain James Ayrton announces retirement

James Ayrton was presented with a framed shirt at Bishop’s Stortford’s annual dinner and end-of-season awards to mark his retirement.

The captain has decided to call time on his playing career after the club preserved their National 1 status this season.

Ayrton racked up 88 games for Stortford after arriving at Silver Leys from Cambridge in the summer of 2019. He was handed the skipper’s armband ahead of the 2022-23 campaign.

First-team awards were presented to Will Rogers (supporters’ player of the year), Jack Biard (young player of the year), Toby Hill (players’ player) and Ollie Jones (coaches’ player).

Ben Harrison-Price, who joined Stortford aged six, was also presented with a framed shirt to mark 25 years at the club.

For the Blues, Finn Quinn, Tom Charter and Reece Lane claimed the most improved player, players’ player and coaches’ player prizes respectively.

Matt Parker (most improved player) and Michael Sankey (player of the season) took home the Mitres accolades while Jack Charge was named the Abbots’ player of the season.

In the women’s section, Harriet Creasy was players’ player, Eva Radukic was coaches’ player and Chloe Capp was most improved player.

The best newcomer was Lorrell Jordan and the Poyser Award went to Imogen Spanton.

The touch rugby section’s clubman of the year title went to Gaz Tracey.

And Richard Evans was named club person of the year.

The guest speaker at the event on Friday evening (May 17) was former Northampton Saints and England forward Tom Wood.

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