Last night, two inspirational role models from Newcastle Rugby Foundation, the charitable arm of Premiership club Newcastle Falcons, won national Premiership Rugby HITZ Awards at a poignant ceremony held at the Allianz Stadium, Twickenham. 18-year-old HITZ participant Katie, from Whitley Bay, was presented with the HITZ Academic Achiever Award 2024 whilst Kev Esther a Newcastle College HITZ teacher, from Chester Le Street, was awarded the HITZ Champion Award 2024 at the annual celebration of young learners, mentors and supportive businesses involved in the award-winning Premiership Rugby HITZ education and employment programme.

Securing two out of the four award wins, for the second consecutive year, the Newcastle Rugby Foundation shone as the achievements of 12 outstanding shortlisted individuals from across the country were recognised during the evening.

A highlight of the Premiership Rugby calendar, the moving ceremony featured films capturing the journeys of all those shortlisted participants, showcasing their bravery, commitment and passion for using the HITZ programme to carve out brighter futures, often against all odds.

Hosted by Topsy Ojo, and attended by Premiership players, former Newcastle Falcons hooker Rob Vickers, Harlequins centre Lennox Anyanwu and back row Jack Kenningham along with Saracens scrum half Ivan van Zyl, the night was one of pride and celebration of how much rugby can change lives.

Laylla Stanley, Strategic Lead – Social Impact and D&I at Premiership Rugby said: “Congratulations to Katie and Kev on their well-deserved award wins. HITZ’s impact over the past 16 years speaks for itself: 83% of participants like Katie move into education, employment, or training immediately after completing the programme.

“HITZ equips young people with the tools to navigate life’s challenges, extending far beyond the classroom or rugby pitch, and this wouldn’t be possible without the valuable support our clubs received from individuals like Kev who share our passion and determination to help young people in their local community. We’re thrilled for Newcastle Rugby Foundation on their double award win; the recognition is much deserved.”

The HITZ Academic Achiever Award recognises the journey a young person on HITZ has taken in their academic development. It also acknowledges the personal pathway the learner has taken since joining the programme and how far they have come.

Katie joined the Newcastle HITZ programme, having left school without any GCSEs after struggling with poor attendance and disruptive behaviour. However Katie found hope through HITZ, which connected her passion for rugby with personal development.

With support from HITZ tutors, Katie learned how to manage her emotions and realised she was not alone in her struggles. This shift allowed her to set goals, envision a positive future and embrace opportunities like volunteering with the Newcastle Rugby Foundation CAST match day team. Katie also rekindled her love for rugby with mentoring from female coaches at Newcastle Rugby Foundation, returning to her local club and improving her game.

All of this contributed to a remarkable growth academically, with Katie achieving 100% attendance and progressing to her Level 2 Sport qualification alongside volunteering. She developed as a role model after taking the initiative to help others facing similar challenges and she now aspires to become a rugby coach eager to inspire others through her own experiences.

Kate said on winning her award, “It’s just a great experience to be here at the awards, and then to come not expecting to win and then obviously winning, it was just a really big shock, it’s just overwhelming. To Dave, George and David and everyone from The Cast who I work with, then Mel and Darren, I want to say thank you for all your support.”

The HITZ Champion Award recognises an individual or business who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to support young people on the HITZ programme in overcoming difficult personal barriers to success.

Kev Esther scooped this award in recognition that he consistently goes beyond his duties to support, inspire, and guide students on the HITZ programme, led by the Newcastle Rugby Foundation and hosted at Newcastle College.

Kev consistently remains calm and patient, especially with HITZ participants who struggle with anger or physical outbursts. His passion for sport has seen him set up extracurricular activities like a football team to increase socialisation for students. Kev also acts as mentor, providing a support network for students that keeps attendance levels high whilst connecting them to relevant external support services like emergency accommodation if needed.

Kev is tenacious in ensuring all his students are given the best opportunity to achieve academically. He takes a personalised approach, identifying individual student struggles and needs, often working out of college hours to remain accessible to students so they never feel alone. Kev’s work leaves lasting impressions on all his students, motivating them to gain qualifications, pursue careers and believe in themselves.

After winning his award Kev said, “It does mean a lot to win. I didn’t think it would, but it did mean a lot, especially with it being the last awards. To be recognised amongst all the amazing stories we heard tonight is incredible, but I say all the time, it’s not just me, it’s ALL the people who are involved with the whole HITZ programme up and down the country.

“It’s a huge team effort. To any young person that was thinking about trying HITZ, definitely, definitely give it a go, it’s sometimes about being brave and overcoming fears and anxieties to actually trust other people. But, honestly, this programme is hugely important for people and it does change people’s lives.

“It can give you a massive opportunity. It can give you a huge amount of confidence and it can completely give you something you might have never had before or thought you could ever have.”

Melanie Magee, CEO at Newcastle Rugby Foundation who was amongst guests celebrating at the Allianz Stadium said: “We are immensely proud of Katie and Kev for their well-deserved HITZ award wins. Katie’s commitment to transforming her future, both personally and academically, has inspired everyone here at the Foundation.

“Our HITZ team, with dedicated educators like Kev, is truly remarkable. We couldn’t deliver this programme without the support of people like him, who empower young people to realise their potential and take charge of their own paths. It’s inspiring to witness the impact HITZ has – not only on the individuals involved but on the wider community too.”

Katie and Kev’s HITZ Award wins will be further recognised by Falcons during Round 7 of Gallagher Premiership Rugby (Nov 29 – Dec 1) which is Community Weekend. Over the weekend, all games will be dedicated to Premiership Rugby’s award-winning community programmes, including HITZ and Project Rugby, and the tireless work of the community teams to change lives through rugby.

The Community Weekend aims to showcase the many, wide ranging benefits of being part of the rugby community – from improving physical fitness, health and mental wellbeing to social connectedness, developing relationships with other, building confidence or a sense of purpose, belonging and giving something back to others. By being one community, we are stronger.