Dave Woods, the BBC’s Rugby League Correspondent, has been awarded the Arthur Brooks Trophy by the Rugby League Writers and Broadcasters Association, for services to the sport.
He was presented with the award at Old Trafford before the Betfred Super League Grand Final.
The RLWBA introduced its Merit Award in 1982, and other previous winners have included Mal Meninga (1994), Shaun Edwards (1999), Steve Prescott (2009) and Kevin Sinfield (2017), with the Catalans Dragons owner Bernard Guasch and the St Helens and England captain Jodie Cunningham the two winners since it was revived after Covid in 2021.
It carries the name of Arthur Brooks in tribute to the distinguished and long-serving former Daily Mirror Rugby League correspondent.
Trevor Hunt, the Secretary of the RLWBA, said:
“The Merit Award is presented alongside our Player of the Year Award with a focus on the presentation of Rugby League to the public.
“It has been won by a wide range of personalities from different areas of the sport, and this year we recognise one of our own.
“Dave Woods is established as the voice of Rugby League for the millions who watch and listen to the sport on BBC television and radio.
“He’s an outstanding commentator and broadcaster, as he has shown in many years working in Rugby League and a number of other sports, notably football. But whatever he does, he retains humility and humour – a real credit to Rugby League, as well as his profession.”
Ian Lenagan, the Chairman of Wigan Warriors, also paid tribute, ahead of his last match in the role at Old Trafford.
“Congratulations to Dave Woods for this well-deserved award.
“Throughout my years as the Wigan Chair, he has been the voice of Rugby League on the BBC – such an important role for the sport, and one he has filled with knowledge, authority, eloquence and class.
“He has a passion for the sport, which began watching Wigan from the Central Park terraces and then became professional in his early years with the Barnes agency – but he has always combined that with a journalistic rigour in holding the sport, its clubs and custodians to account.
“Dave has been a real leader in voicing Rugby League for so many years.”
