Last Friday night I had the opportunity to drop in on the U13’s awards and like many other end of season events at this time of year it was full of excitement and fun. I was impressed by how the coaches managed to keep 30-40 energetic boys and their siblings sitting still for what was a long time! As for their parents they beamed with pride as they reflected on a great season. It was great to participate in the party atmosphere.

What struck me most was the sense of engagement these boys demonstrated as they congratulated their team mates who received recognition for their efforts on the field of play. This group also recognised those who contributed to their team and included siblings and parents in the mix. The highlight for me was when the room went especially hushed for the TREDS awards.

For those not familiar with the RFU's framework, TREDS stands for Teamwork, Respect, Enjoyment, Discipline and Sportsmanship. It is not a prize for the fastest runner or the best tackler. It is something altogether more important: recognition that a young player has chosen to live the values of the game. Watching those two youngsters collect their awards, I found myself thinking about what that really means not just for them, but for the club that shaped them.

These weren't accidents. Those two players were not born knowing how to show up for teammates, treat referees with dignity, compete hard and walk off the pitch with their head held high. They learnt it here, on our pitches, from our coaches, in the company of families who give their weekends to something bigger than themselves. That is what a community rugby club actually does, when it is working the way it should.

Our values - Belonging, Commitment, Custodianship, Heritage, Joy in the Game are not words on a website. They are the standard we hold ourselves to every Saturday morning on the training pitch and every Sunday on the touchline. TREDS is the RFU's version of that same standard. When two of our Under 13s earn that recognition in the same season, it tells us the values are landing. The culture is real. The work of our coaches, parents and volunteers is producing something that lasts longer than a season. As I have said before, part of our vision for the future is to not only produce good players but good citizens.

Belonging is the word I keep coming back to. Everyone has a place. Everyone contributes to the whole. That is not a slogan it is a description of what a good rugby club feels like from the inside. For a child finding their feet in the game, it matters enormously that the club they walk into is one where they are welcomed, challenged and seen. Where the effort matters as much as the result.

As I said to these players, this is their home from home, it will always be there for them both now and in the years to come.

We are 125 years of rugby and six decades in Sunbury. The families on our touchlines, the coaches giving their Sundays, the adults players representing the club on Saturdays plus all the volunteers who keep the lights on, they are all part of the thread. The Under 13s awards evening was a reminder of why that thread is worth holding.

Well done to all the boys who received awards and to every player, coach, and family who made this season one worth remembering. The story of this club is still being written. Last weekend's awards evening was a very good page of it.

Chris Kane, President, London Irish Amateur RFC