Allton awarded the Brian Weeks trophy
After participating in the Royal Navy Rugby Union Under 23 squad for the past three years, Able Seaman (Seaman Specialist) Kai Allton was the stand out player who received the coveted award for the most valuable Under 23 player, the Brian Weeks Memorial trophy, at the end of the RNRU Under 23 season.
Kai has delivered another committed performance to the RNRU Under 23s this season. Making himself available for every training session and match, Kai has been the training support group's first choice as prop throughout this season. Working hard to increase his fitness levels, he has regularly played the full 80 minutes of every match. His strong performance in the scrum has been matched by the quality of his tackles. Bringing with him three years of RNRU Under 23 experience he has also taken on responsibility as a senior member of the squad, leading the way for those with less experience to follow.
Kai was also proud to pull on the No 1 shirt at the end of October when the Royal Navy Senior XV side travelled to Oxford for a development match ahead of the start of their proper season in February. Kai will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of previous winners of the Brian Weeks trophy, last year's winner, Air Engineering Technician Scott Makepeace and 2015 winner Able Seaman (Minewarfare) Gareth Rees by following up his success with the Under 23s by earning a permanent place in the Royal Navy Rugby Union Senior XV squad in 2019.
In his day job, Kai is based in Devonport Naval Base, Plymouth. A seaman specialist he spends the majority of his time at sea on the bridge of the ship as the quartermaster or on the upper deck taking care of all the seamanship equipment and upper deck fittings and fixtures. Congratulations to Kai for a great performance this season and for becoming the twelfth recipient of the Brian Weeks memorial trophy. Good luck for 2019!
Images: Royal Navy Rugby Union © John Walton