Austin Allen named Senior Male Provincial Player of the Year; alumni Melvin Alexis '18 and Khalil Ajram '08 and previous coach David McCully also honoured for outstanding contributions
Trent University was proudly represented at the Rugby Ontario Awards this year.
Student-athlete Austin Allen (Champlain College) has been named the Senior Male Provincial Player of the Year, an award that celebrates his athletic achievements, leadership qualities, and positive contribution to rugby culture. Alum athletes and a coach were also honoured, including Melvin Alexis '18 (Otonabee College), of the Peterborough Pagans RFC, who was named Senior Male Club Player of the Year; Khalil Ajram '08 (Champlain College), of the Aurora Barbarians RFC, was named volunteer of the year; and previous Excalibur coach David McCully, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a member of the 2006 Irish Canadian Rugby Club Men's 1st XV.
Austin Allen (left) and Melvin Alexis (right) at the Rugby Ontario Awards
"We are incredibly proud of Austin, Melvin, Khalil and David for their outstanding contributions to rugby both on and off the field," said Nathan McFadden, director of Athletics & Recreation at Trent University. "Their dedication and leadership exemplify the values we strive to instill in all our student-athletes."
The 2024 Rugby Ontario Hall of Fame and Awards Dinner was held on Saturday, November 23, 2024 in Mississauga.
Austin - known affectionately by his teammates as "Aussie" - joined the Trent Excalibur men's rugby team as a first-year Business Administration student in 2023 and quickly found a community within the varsity program.
Growing up in Thornbury, a small town not far from Peterborough, Allen was drawn to Trent for its tight-knit campus community that felt like home, and the strong reputation of its varsity rugby program.
"Playing at Trent is truly an honour," Allen said. "It's allowed me to grow as a player and a person and I've learned so much from everyone around me. The culture and the team set you up for success, and I'm surrounded by teammates who want to excel on and off the field."
Following his first season with the Trent Excalibur, Allen was selected to Rugby Canada's 36-player U20 squad that competed against the USA for the World Trophy qualification. He then captained the U19 Ontario Blues to an undefeated (4-0) tournament to claim the U19 Canadian Rugby Championship in Nova Scotia.
Head coach of Trent's men's rugby program, Eric Noyes, was not surprised to hear that Austin had been nominated and was ultimately the chosen recipient by the High-Performance Committee at Rugby Ontario.
"Austin has become a pillar of our program here at Trent, and he is without a doubt on a track to even higher-level honours in the years to come," Noyes said. "We're incredibly happy that his passion for the game and his hard work, both on and off the field, are being recognized by the greater rugby community."
Meanwhile, Peterborough Pagans senior men's player Melvin Alexis has also been recognized for his outstanding performance and leadership within the sport.
Alexis, one of the league's top performers, led the team in tries and was a pivotal offensive force in the Marshall Premiership this season. Alexis was awarded the most improved senior men's player of the year by the Pagans during last year's annual awards banquet.
Khalil Ajram, former Trent Excalibur student-athlete and coach, was recognized for his dedication to the Aurora Barbarians Rugby Football Club. Ajram has volunteered with the ABRFC for 18 years, sitting on the board of directors for 15. This year marks the second time Ajram has been honoured as Rugby Ontario Volunteer of the Year, receiving the same accolade in 2015.
Former head coach of Excalibur men's rugby David McCully was inducted into the Rugby Ontario Hall of Fame as a member of the Irish Canadian Rugby Club Men's 1st XV. During McCully's time with the team (2006) they captured the McCormick Cup Championship and finished as runners-up at the National Club Championship. During his time with the Excalibur, David won back-to-back OCAA Coach of the Year Awards in 2014 and 2015, while also leading the Excalibur to OCAA Gold in 2015.
