Ilkley Rugby Club recognised their army of volunteers as they earned their year 2 Seal of Approval

Most amateur rugby, indeed amateur sport, is run by a willing band of volunteers. Ilkley Rugby Club is no different.

The government declared 2005 the Year of the Volunteer. The RFU established a recognition programme for volunteers. Ilkley Rugby Club decided to recognise their volunteers by holding a lunch prior to the league game with South Yorkshire rivals Wheatley Hills last Saturday.

The club sent out almost 90 invitations, a figure which even they found surprising!

Over 50 attended the lunch, a sumptuous traditional Yorkshire shepherds pie with all the trimmings. It is testimony to the seamless joining of senior rugby on Saturdays and junior rugby on Sundays and gave those parents who don't normally watch the senior game a chance to appreciate what their youngsters are aspiring to.

Everyone from junior section coaches, to first aiders, physios, gatemen, and of course the hard-working committee were invited.

One group invited was the infamous Thursday gang, a team of self-declared grumpy old men who clean up the club for the coming weekend. An award of the inaugural Golden Brush was made to a grandparent of two junior players who 'just wanted to put a little bit back'.

Jim Brown said he was delighted with the award but that he preferred the meal and free bar!

Ilkley Rugby Club is fuelled by volunteers. It is a strictly amateur club run in a highly professional manner. They have a plethora of trained coaches at every age group of the junior section, so much so that they are beginning to fall victim to their own success.

The large numbers of children and young people now playing their rugby at Ilkley means that their pitches are beginning to suffer from overuse. A large sum of money has already been spent on sand to try and see them through to the end of the season but a summer remedial programme is essential and will surely be costly.

It was announced at the lunch that the club had been awarded the second year of the national Seal of Approval award. This is awarded only to those clubs who can demonstrate good practice is all areas of governance and the playing and coaching of the game at junior level. It sets them apart as one of the leading edge clubs in the country and is all part of the responsible attitude the club and its committee is taking to the community.

The award will be presented at half-time in a forthcoming Leeds Tykes premiership match. The Tykes are at the forefront of volunteer recognition, having entertained over 30 of Ilkley's team of volunteers at the recent match against Bath.

Already the Ilkley club have almost completed the first year of a project to employ a full-time Rugby Community Sports Coach. Dave Duxbury's work in the local schools and with the students at Bradford University has been an outstanding success with more participants at virtually all age groups and now more members of the club itself.

Thanks to the continuing support of the scheme's three main sponsors Skipton Financial Services, Magellan Residential and Myddelton Construction together with Sportsmatch and Bradford Council they are now hopeful that, despite disappointment with various grant applications, sufficient funding is in place to go on to years two and three.

Ilkley Rugby Club is determined to maintain its status as one of the top junior clubs in the county and, indeed the country.