CAMBORNE’S Herbie Stupple and Ivybridge’s Abby Smith both won big at the Trelawny’s Army awards evening at St Austell Brewery on Wednesday night.

Both the men and women’s sides reached Twickenham in their respective county championship campaigns, the men seeing off Lancashire 39-24 to win Division One for the first time since 2022, while the ladies – in their first appearance at the Allianz Stadium – powered to promotion up to Division One of the Gill Burns County Championship after a 46-27 success over Durham. They had previously been promoted in 2022.

The Under 20s saw off Devon and Somerset to reach the South West play-off where they were beaten by a strong Berkshire outfit at Redruth.

Bill Hooper, Riley Raikes and Marina Trevarton.
Cornwall Under 20s' player of the year Riley Raikes (centre) was presented with the Tony Mead Trophy by Bill Hooper and Marina Trevarton.

There were several standout performers, including St Austell prop Riley Raikes, who not only scrummaged well, he got around the park and added three tries in as many games. He was rewarded with the Tony Mead Memorial Trophy.

Stupple, a product of the Wadebridge Camels youth system, was back in county colours and produced a series of dominant performances from No.8 and racked up a hat-trick in the away leg of their two-legged affair with Kent in the semi-final and was a shining light at Twickenham.

Smith, who has been one of the standout players in Launceston Ladies’ rise up the league pyramid in recent seasons, has since joined Ivybridge following their promotion to Championship One South.

Karen Bunt, Abby Smith and Jo Holden.
Abby Smith was presented the Jess Humber Shield by Karen Bunt and head coach Jo Holden (right).

The centre notched up seven tries in the group games with Berkshire and Devon, and although she was kept off the scoresheet in the semi-final at North Midlands Women and the final at Twickenham, her powerful running and attacking threat earned her the Jess Humber Shield.

Bill Hooper, outgoing media officer of Trelawny’s Army, was made a life member and was on hand to represent Stupple with the Bill Osborne Trophy for the men’s player of the year.