YOUNG rugby players from the Howard of Effingham School have been voted young sports team of the year at the Surrey Sports Awards.
The school's year 8 rugby league team won the award at the sixth Surrey Sports Awards, organised by Active Surrey.
The award capped an outstanding season for the team, which became the first school side from the south of England to win a national rugby league title.
Scrum half Tyler Winter said: "Being in the room with so many of Surrey's elite sports stars was a real honour, and when our school team was read out as the overall winner's everyone cheered. We have come so far since the start of the year and hopefully we will get even better."
The boys had been playing rugby league for less than 12 months before defeating Castleford Academy 24-22 in the Carnegie Champion Schools final at Wembley in August.
Head of PE Shane Birkett said: "The players have shown great commitment, dedication and enthusiasm to come this far and have already made it into the quarter final stage of this season's South East of England Cup. We are all very proud of their achievements."
The school has entered seven teams in this year's competition and is running several rugby league festivals.
The prize-giving took place on December 16 at Mercedes Benz World in Weybridge.
