Pragnell Presents the Wasps Rugby Club Awards

Pragnell were delighted to partner with Wasps Rugby Club, as the title sponsor of the club’s annual end-of-season awards. The prestigious awards ceremony took place at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena in May 2019, with over 650 people in attendance enjoying a glamorous gala dinner to toast the club’s achievements over the 2018-19 season.

We designed and created the trophy for the much-coveted Players’ Player of the Season award: the striking wasp design, crafted by hand in our workshop, was presented on the evening by managing director Charlie Pragnell.

2019's award went to second-row forward Will Rowlands, who was praised for a productive season that saw him make a staggering 253 tackles over 27 appearances. He follows in the footsteps of 2018 winner, hooker Tom Cruse, a key member of the squad who claimed eight tries in his first 35 appearances in black and gold. In 2017, Pragnell’s debut year as a sponsor of the award, the trophy was scooped by New Zealand-born fly-half Jimmy Gopperth, who scored 292 points during the season, 102 more than his closest rival.

As well as an opportunity to celebrate Wasps’ players, coaches and club members, the end-of-season awards are a chance to raise money for charity through raffles and auctions. One of the top prizes in the 2019 raffle was a pair of one-of-a-kind Wasps cufflinks, designed in-house and handmade by our master craftspeople. Echoing the prestigious Players’ Player trophy, the wasp-shaped cufflinks were crafted in 18ct polished gold and black enamel and stamped with the Pragnell Seal.

In 2018, we offered an 18ct white gold and diamond Rockstar pendant as the top prize, while in 2017 the lucky winner received a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Geneva, for a private tour of the Patek Philippe Museum and manufacture: a money-can’t-buy experience.

All money raised at the annual gala dinner is donated to the Wasps Community Foundation, a charitable organisation which benefits children with learning difficulties. In 2019, the event raised an impressive £26,971. These funds will help support the Playing Advantage Club, a Sunday rugby and sports club set up by the foundation, as well as projects in schools for children with special educational needs and disabilities across Coventry and Warwickshire.

“We are tremendously proud to have partnered with Wasps and support the club’s fantastic charity initiatives,” says Charlie Pragnell. “It’s wonderful to have been able to join the club in giving back to the local community, as well as celebrate the exceptional work of Wasps’ players and coaches throughout the season.”

Further support for the Wasps Community Foundation comes from Pragnell’s limited-edition wasp pendant, crafted in 18ct yellow gold with black and yellow diamonds, designed in partnership with the rugby club.