They are built by the people who turn up, put their bodies on the line, bring energy to training, lift the standards of the group, and leave behind memories that last long after the final whistle.

As Sandy Bay looks ahead to the next chapter, the club would like to recognise and thank four players who have given plenty to the Bay: Finn Hamilton, Guy Lansdown, Sam Townsley and Mitchell Crawford.

Finn Hamilton (Hooker)
There is a moment from this season that says everything about Finn Hamilton.

He played a full game with a broken hand.

Not because he had to. Because the group needed him. Because that is who Finn is, a player who does not look for reasons to step back. He looks for reasons to stay in.

Energetic, mobile, faster than any hooker has a right to be, and with a work ethic that made the people around him better without him ever needing to say much. Finn trained like it mattered. He competed like it mattered. And he did it all with a smile on his face.

That combination of relentless effort and genuine joy is rarer than people think.

Sandy Bay is a better club for having had it.

Guy Lansdown (Centre)
Marno said it best:
“Guy plays rugby in the spirit it is meant to be played.”

Hard on the field. Honest in everything he does. A centre who never looked for the easy option when the physical one was available. A leader who did not need a title to set the standard. A teammate who gave everything, every week.

But Guy’s influence went beyond the collisions.

Post-match, he was never far from a pint with the lads and that is exactly where he belonged.

There is a type of player every club needs. The ones who hold the culture together when it is easy, and when it is hard.

Guy was that player for the Bay.

Sam Townsley (Second Row)
Sam Townsley gave Sandy Bay something the pack had been searching for: a proper tall lock.

We are not known for having the tallest pack, but Sam certainly helped push the average lineout height in the right direction.

More importantly, he was a great character to have around the group while doing it.

By all accounts, Sam is just a good human. The kind of player who makes a club feel like a club, rather than just a team.

He also leaves with a record that may never be broken — the world’s largest egg from a knock to the forehead.

Some honours are earned the hard way.

Mitchell Crawford (Front Row)
Mitchell Crawford leaves as Sandy Bay’s Breakthrough Player of the Year.

Prop. Hooker. Lock. Back row.

If the team needed someone, somewhere, Mitch was already pulling on the jersey and getting on with it.

The ultimate team player in the truest sense of the phrase.

This season, he covered just about every position in the pack and even started a game at lock alongside Ricky Nwagbara. Forming one of the shortest second row combinations the game has ever seen, and probably one of the most determined.

Great feet. Soft hands. Endless effort. And a genuine enjoyment for playing for the Bay that was impossible to miss.

As he now heads off to flight school, everyone at Sandy Bay wishes him the very best for what comes next.

Each of these players leaves with their own story, their own moments, but one shared commitment to the club.

Finn, Guy, Sam and Mitch have all been part of the Sandy Bay story and we give them their flowers for everything they have given to the Bay.

Thank you.

Up The Bay