Soapy Watson Award for 2024 - Chief Petty Officer Rob Jones

For his outstanding contribution and commitment to the Royal Navy Rugby Union, Chief Petty Officer Rob Jones is awarded the Soapy Watson Award for 2024.

Utterly dependable and respected across the Royal Navy Rugby Union, Chief Petty Officer Rob Jones has provided the platform for the successful delivery of the Senior Men’s XV for the last 5 seasons. Without his unwavering support as the Team Manager, the recovery of rugby following the pandemic, and the success witnessed since, would not have been achieved.

As a former rugby player himself, Rob has benefitted from active participation in team sport throughout his career. Recognising not only the health benefits but also the contribution sport plays in instilling and maintaining the core values in young service personnel, his initial contribution on hanging up his boots was in supporting the U23s team. Having successfully delivered Inter-Service success with them, he then moved to the Senior Men’s team, assuming the role as Team Manager. Immediately setting about his duties, he quickly established a training home for the team, first at Fort Blockhouse, then at Norton Manor Camp, and most recently at HMS RALEIGH.

Rob is responsible for bringing everyone and everything together, initially liaising with clubs to organise fixtures before arranging transport, accommodation, food, and the provision of kit. He is responsible for ensuring that the players are in the right place, in the right kit and at the right time. He liaises with the Command chain to negotiate player release; he constantly seeks to identify new players and he manages the budget; the roles and responsibilities that fall to him are extensive and all are completed as a volunteer in company with his duties maintaining the Merlin helicopter at RNAS Culdrose.

But what really stands Rob out as a Team Manager is his accomplishment with people. In everything he does, he has the individual at the centre and his attention to detail ensures that all players involved in the Senior Men’s XV can reach their potential and perform to the best of their abilities. Rob’s ability to forge relationships with everybody he meets and his talent to convince them that they are all part of the Navy Rugby family has ensured that the team have benefitted from the little extras. Be it a free Cornish pasty, a tot of rum or an extra pair of socks, he manages to convince others to give what they can.

This award, in memory of Warrant Officer ‘Soapy” Watson, is presented to the team support member who has contributed over and above the call of duty from across the RNRU. Soapy spent five seasons involved with the management of the Senior Men’s team and was that rare breed who always managed to appear cheerful, whatever the pressures. He would surely see much of himself in Rob today, someone who reflects the values that are strived for in Navy Rugby.

For his outstanding contribution and commitment to the Royal Navy Rugby Union, Chief Petty Officer Rob Jones is awarded the Soapy Watson Award for 2024.

Images by Jarrad Hulm