LAST year's overall Local Heroes Award winner Ted Wood officially announced recently that he had retired from his beloved game of rugby - after more than 60 years service to the game.
The 75-year-old, who also won the Leading Light Award at the ceremony hosted at Hardwick Hall, Sedgefield, is adamant there will be no return to the Durham University Rugby Club's playing fields in any other capacity than being just a spectator. But given Te d has officially retired on several previous occasions you wouldn't bet against the inspirational coach favouring another return - rather than reaching for his pipe and slippers.
He said: "I have retired three times - this is the fourth. This is the final one, it is a good time to go. I hope I will be able to watch the games, but I'll keep my mouth shut."
Ted, known to hundreds of students as 'Mr Rugby' was rewarded by the Northern Echo for three and a half decades of unswerving devotion to coaching and nurturing, unpaid, some of the most precocious young talents ever to play for their country.
He has been responsible for handling more than 30 players who have gone on and taken their bow on the international stage - among them World Cup winner Will Greenwood and former England captain Will Carling, who filmed a video tribute, shown at the Local Heroes awards ceremony.
The innovative coach also received £500 prize money for his outstanding contributions to grassroots sport, which he promptly handed straight over to the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation - what a man!
Hemay have been relatively unknown outside of the rugby world but he is highly-regarded by some of the most well-known figures in English rugby. And not only that, he has been at the forefront of fund-raising, bringing in over £800,000 in his time at Durham.
Nigel Armstrong, Managing Director of headline sponsor, The Bannatyne Group, said: "Ted epitomises the spirit of Local Heroes and was a deserved winner of two awards last year.
"His dedication to rugby and the players he has worked with has been outstanding.
"The Local Heroes Awards are all about individuals like Ted who put their heart and soul into grassroots sport to help others and bring health, exercise and enjoyment into their lives.I am sure there are others in the region who make a similar contribution and rightly they should be honoured at this year's awards."
If you know of anyone deserving of a Local Heroes Award you can nominate your star of grassroots sport online at www. localheroesawards. co. uk, email lynsey. fanning@nne. co. uk, or write to Lynsey Fanning, Local Heroes Nomination, PO Box 14, Priestgate, Darlington, Co Durham, DL1 1NF