The NPTC Group of Colleges Sports Awards 2026 brought students, staff and special guests together to celebrate outstanding sporting achievement and commitment across the College.
Held at The Glyn Clydach, the event recognised students from across football, netball and rugby, celebrating individual performances, most improved players and those who have made a significant contribution to college sport.
Speaking at the event, Matt Jones, Deputy Head of School for Sport and Public Services, praised the dedication shown by students throughout the year.
Matt said: “So much effort and dedication has gone into this year that it’s great to bring everyone together and celebrate the success and the efforts that everybody has put in. It’s been a fantastic evening.”
The evening welcomed former student and current Men’s Wales rugby head coach Steve Tandy as the special guest, who returned to present awards and reflect on his own journey through sport.
Steve said: “It’s amazing to come back and see people that coached me as well. Coming back to present so many amazing awards for such talented individuals is really special for me. Sport is such an amazing journey – you have so many experiences, meet so many mates along the way and just have amazing fun.”
Matt also highlighted the importance of welcoming inspiring sporting figures to the awards.
He said: “We’ve had amazing guests over the years, and for a college in Wales, it doesn’t get much better than the current Wales rugby head coach.”
Grace John, winner of the Kieran Sparrow Award, spoke about what the recognition meant to her and reflected on a successful year in football.
Grace said: “It makes me feel very privileged to earn this award, especially knowing that Kieran was a former student of Neath College.”
During the year, Grace played for Swansea Under 19s, where the team won the Championship Conference, alongside representing the College in competitive fixtures. She highlighted the progress made within the College football programme and the development of the squad over the season.
Grace said: “It’s been a really good year with football. I think we’ve progressed a lot, played more 11-a-side matches and I’ve seen lots of improvement across the team.”
Award Winners
Footballer of the Year (1st Team) – Jacob Jones
Most Improved Player (1st Team) – Tom Williams
Footballer of the Year (2nd Team) – Levi Williams
Most Improved Player (2nd Team) – Ryan Thomas
Football Player of the Year (3rd Team) – Alistair McCallion
Women’s Footballer of the Year – Ellie Gibbins
Women’s Football Most Improved – Abi Pritchard
Netball Player of the Year (1st Team) – Georgia McDonald
Netball Most Improved (1st Team) – Katy Graham
Netball Player of the Year (2nd Team) – Lexi Yeomanson
Netball Most Improved (2nd Team) – Leah Jones
Men’s Rugby Player of the Year – Dan Murnane
Men’s Rugby Most Improved – Saul Otterson
Women’s Rugby Player of the Year – Lowri Hill
Women’s Rugby Most Improved – Leah Jones
Athlete of the Year – Thomas Loynes
Sportswoman of the Year – Layla Begley Tracey
Sportsman of the Year – Harley Thomas
Kieran Sparrow Award – Grace John
Volunteer of the Year – Owain Brayley
Most Promising Coach – Evan Vince
The Sports Awards 2026 showcased the depth of talent and the supportive sporting environment at NPTC Group of Colleges, celebrating both performance and personal development through sport.
To find out more about studying Sport and Public Services at NPTC Group of Colleges, visit:
