Ford-Robinson Named Premiership Player Of The Month
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With Premiership Rugby currently suspended, there wasn’t any on-pitch action for the competition to judge who would be named the Premiership Rugby Player of the Month for March on normal performance criteria.
So the organisers of the competition have come up with an alternative with Gloucester Rugby's prop Jamal Ford-Robinson being named as the first-ever Gallagher Community Player of the Month.
The Premiership confirmed the award on their website saying "there’s certainly been no shortage of inspiring social and community stories emerging across the country during lockdown"
"So, together with our partner Gallagher, we renamed this award as the Gallagher Community Player of the Month – to find and applaud the Premiership player who has had the made the biggest social contribution to their local community in March."
"Countless nominations produced a 12-strong shortlist of inspiring stories that Gallagher and Premiership Rugby then put to the public vote.
And Ford-Robinson emerged as the winner from a fans’ poll on the Premiership Rugby app which drew more than 5,000 votes as supporters applauded the individual actions of their players who are delivering real and meaningful difference across the country.
The Gloucester Rugby prop self-produced a series of hilarious and uplifting videos through his social media accounts in March, capturing the imagination of fans across the country, boosting morale and giving his followers a much-needed lift.
Leading the praise for his exploits was Gallagher ambassador and Rugby World Cup winner, Nolli Waterman who said: “At a time when we were all having to meet the many challenges associated with lockdown and the new reality of social isolation, Jamal and his hilarious homemade videos quickly became an unmissable daily feature on social media – a real one-man lifter of spirits, smile-spreader and day-brightener throughout the rugby community.
“Laughter is a powerful force that brings us all together, even when we are forced to be apart, and let’s just say Jamal’s Whitney impression is definitely a case of once seen, never unseen!”
With a player from each Premiership Rugby team shortlisted for this new award, Ford-Robinson emerged ahead of Bristol Bears’ Callum Sheedy and Northampton Saints’ Courtney Lawes to claim the prize and he wins courtesy of Gallagher:
- A shirt signed by all the players from his club, Gloucester Rugby, to donate to a local charity of his choice
- A donation to his local NHS trust
- The Gallagher Premiership Rugby Player of the Month trophy
