A HADDINGTON rugby player forced to take a year out from the sport after fracturing his hand has been honoured by his club.

Connor Munro was named Most Improved 1st XV Player by his hometown club at their end-of-season awards ceremony.

The club held the ceremony following its annual general meeting, with both events taking place online due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Joining Munro in picking up awards were Callum Pate, named 1st XV Player of the Season by his team-mates, and Sam Johnson, announced as 1st XV Player of the Year by the coaches.

Colin Stuart was the top try scorer for the first XV with 11, while Nick Swanston was named 2nd XV Player of the Year.

Twenty-three-year-old Munro was delighted to receive the award after he had fractured his scaphoid playing for Haddington’s seconds.

The number eight said: “At the start of the season my confidence was a bit rocky because I had been out after getting surgery on my hand at the end of 2018. I had a year out and when I came back I was a bit nervous.

“But confidence grew over the season as results came and as the team bond got a bit stronger.”

Team-mate Pate was just as pleased to pick up his award after a season which saw Haddington lose to Royal High in the final of the Edinburgh Shield and stopped from potentially winning East League Division One after the coronavirus outbreak saw the remaining fixtures scrapped and the leagues voided.

The 19-year-old stand-off said: “It is nice to get the players’ vote.

“They are quite a good group of lads and it feels quite good.”

Haddington’s improved showing on the pitch comes 12 months after they were relegated from the national league.

Pate was pleased with the turnaround in fortunes and said there were a number of factors.

He told Courier Sport: “I think the players they brought in, two or three really good players, more numbers at training gives better training sessions and I would say we had a good coaching group.”

Johnson was named the Coaches’ Player of the Year in his first season back at the club after more than a decade away.

The 35-year-old scrum half said: “It was great to be involved playing at Haddington.

“I just really enjoyed my time there this year.”