The 2025 RugbyWA Grand Finals Award Breakfast was held this Wednesday, August 27 at Rendezvous Hotel Perth Scarborough, to honour and recognise the incredible accomplishments of the RugbyWA sporting community.
A celebration of the 2025 rugby season, the Awards Breakfast saw members of the rugby community acknowledged for their contributions to the competition throughout the year.
PG Hampshire Award for Men’s Player of the Year
The PG Hampshire Award is the top honour for Fortescue Premier Grade players, and is voted by matchday referees on a 3-2-1 basis throughout the Fortescue Premier Grade Round matches.
The award is named after Percy George Hampshire, a longtime passionate promoter of rugby. Mr. Hampshire served as an administrator and President of RugbyWA after moving to Western Australia from New South Wales in 1919. He completed six terms as President (1946-51) and 23 years as Patron (1946-68).
The first PG Hampshire Award was presented in 1949.
The winner of RugbyWA’s Men’s 2025 Best and Fairest, the PG Hampshire Award, is Nedlands’ Matty Lansdown.
In close competition, Lansdown becomes a back-to-back winner with 18 points, four points ahead of Palmyra’s Tyron Law, who sat just two points ahead of trio Ford Hemi (Joondalup Brothers RUFC), Phoenix Hunt (Cottesloe RUFC) and Sam Faoagali (Associates RUFC).
For Lansdown, winning the PG Hampshire Award for the second year in a row isn’t about himself, but the incredible community that surrounds him, and make top performances possible.
“Winning this award is prestigious, and it’s an honour to win it,” Lansdown said. “But that doesn’t come off the back of my efforts alone, it’s everyone behind the scenes, [the] coaching staff and the Nedlands club, and obviously all the boys for making my job easier and enjoyable.”
“I can’t give myself full credit, it’s a lot of people behind the scenes that make it possible.”
His pride in his club and community doesn’t stop there, sharing that the efforts the club has gone to build culture and support for all players is the thing he’s most proud of this season, from junior players all the way through to the Fortescue Premier Grade.
“We’ve had a few new boys come into the team this year, with a whole mix of others who have been there before.
“The strength that we’ve built together and what we did at our rugby club with all the juniors and all the old boys, just really connecting with the club is something I hold dear to myself, and I know a lot of the other boys' love that too. That’s been the best part of the season.”
A back-to-back winner, Lansdown also received the Rendezvous Hotel Perth Scarborough Challenge Cup MVP, with an incredible preseason performance, too.
Congratulations, Matty!
Sue Roberts Trophy for Women’s Player of the Year
The Sue Roberts Trophy is the top honour for Fortescue Women’s Premier Grade players, and is voted by matchday referees on a 3-2-1 basis throughout the Fortescue Women’s Premier Grade Round matches.
The winner of RugbyWA’s 2025 Women’s Player of the Year, the Sue Roberts Trophy, is Southern Lions’ Nicole Ross.
The first year the Trophy has been awarded on the votes of matchday referees, Ross took the win with 19 points, just three points ahead of Palmyra’s Vesinia Schaaf-Taufa, who sat three points ahead of Sheree Hume from Cottesloe.
“It [feels like] a step in the right direction,” Ross shared. “I’ve always loved rugby, and I played rugby when I was younger but I had to stop because there wasn’t any women’s teams. So, I decided to come back last year, and gratefully, we made a Premier Grade team this year.”
Ross’ Southern Lionesses rejoined the Fortescue Women’s Premier Grade in 2025, after a number of seasons struggling for numbers. With a huge performance throughout the seaosn, Ross was a standout player in the new side.
“I’m happy that I got noticed, and hopefully one day, I can play for the Wallaroos!”
When asked about her proudest moment for the season, Ross reflected on the team’s first win since rejoining the competition.
“Our first win against UWA – I've never seen everyone in our team smile so hard. We copped quite a lot of losses through the season, and everyone’s head was down, but we always managed to pick ourselves back up.”
“We have one hell of a team spirit.”
Congratulations, Nicole!
RugbyWA Life Membership – John Edwards
Announced in April 2025, following his retirement from the RugbyWA Board, John Edwards was awarded Life Membership at the RugbyWA Grand Final Awards Breakfast.
A champion of Western Australian rugby, John Edwards has been an instrumental part of the RugbyWA Board since his commencement in 2014. With a longstanding connection to the game, Mr. Edwards served as a rugby player, coach and administrator in several overseas countries as well as Australia, as well as Director of the former Force 15 and Future Force Foundation.
Mr. Edwards began his rugby journey in New South Wales before an extensive playing career across Australia and internationally, representing Indonesia at the Hong Kong Sevens and competing in t ournaments throughout the Asia-Pacific. Returning to Western Australia in 2005, he coached at Associates and Scotch College, with all three of his sons going on to achieve rugby success.
Joining the RugbyWA Board in 2014 and becoming Chairman in 2017, he guided the organisation through the Western Force’s Super Rugby exit, playing a key role in its reinvention. Mr. Edwards stood down from the Board in April 2024, after over a decade of service and commitment to the rugby community.
Congratulations, John!
Award Winners
PG Hampshire Award – Matty Lansdown (Nedlands RUFC)
Sue Roberts Trophy - Nicole Ross (Southern Lions RUFC)
Men’s Top Try Scorer – Sam Faoagali (Associates RUFC)
Women’s Top Try Scorer – Braxton Walker (Kalamunda Districts RUFC)
Men’s Top Point Scorer – Luke Ale (Wanneroo Districts RUFC)
Women’s Top Point Scorer - Braxton Walker (Kalamunda Districts RUFC)
George Newstead Award for Colt of the Year – Xavier Short (UWA RC)
Rendezvous Hotel Perth Scarborough Men’s Challenge Cup MVP – Matty Lansdown (Nedlands RUFC)
Rendezvous Hotel Perth Scarborough Women's Challenge Cup MVP – Teiana Mainwaring (Wanneroo District RUFC)
Team Behind the Team Coach of the Year – Jerard Saunders (ARKS RUFC)
Team Behind the Team Match Official of the Year – Benjamin Jones
Team Behind the Team Volunteer of the Year – Janine Briggs (Ellenbrook Vipers RUC)
Senior Club Champion – Palmyra RUFC
Fortescue N.E.G.U. Award – Alapeta Ngauamo (Wanneroo Districts RUFC)
Stephen Fink Award for Junior Club of the Year -
RugbyWA Cup – Cottesloe RUFC
Healthway Champions of Rugby; Healthy Club of the Year – Ellenbrook Vipers RUC
School Ambassador Program Spirit of Rugby Award – Bertrum Primary School
RugbyWA Life Member Inductee – John Edwards
Minor Premiership Winners
Fortescue Men’s Premier Grade – Nedlands RUFC
Fortescue Women’s Premier Grade – Wanneroo Districts RUFC
Reserve Grade – Palmyra RUFC
Third Grade – Joondalup Brothers RUFC
Fourth Grade – Perth Bayswater RUFC
Belt Up Colts – Associates RUFC
Championship Grade – Rockingham RUFC
Community Grade - Rockingham RUFC
Under 18s – Southern Lions
Under 16 Gold – Mandurah Pirates
Under 16 Girls – Southern Lionesses
Under 15 Gold - Palmyra
Under 14 Gold – Joondalup Brothers
Under 14 Girls – West Palms Barbarians
Under 13 Gold – Palmyra White
