At the Yorkshire RFU AGM meeting at Morley RFC on 1st July, Tony McNally was unanimously elected President of the Yorkshire RFU for 2025/26.
Here's the speech he gave in accepting this honour.
Ladies and gentlemen and YRFU distinguished guests I would like to thank you for bestowing this great honour upon me for the second time and I appreciate that it is only the second time that this has happened where a president has been re-elected.
As usual in these occasions it is customary to thank people, friends, colleagues that over the years have helped and mentored my life in and around rugby.
In my formative years at Armthorpe it was Stuart Robinson and Colin Jessop and within the rugby family some of my best mentors were Legs Bentley, Mike Smith, Mike Brown and cheeky little chap from across the border called David Clark and the memories and help and assistance from the County rugby team was Norman Coates and Brian Umpleby where over a number of years the Yorkshire under 20’s was the most successful team in the history of the County Championships.
At district level Adriann Postuma, Jonathan Rickerby, Olly Dickson where we developed South Yorkshire District into a trail blazing district by growing rugby in Yorkshire at all levels. Many junior – age grade – women and girls and men’s rugby and vets’ rugby.
David Hunter who keeps dropping pearls of wisdom over a vast number of years and over the last 5 years Dawn and Tim Wicks where we have worked tirelessly to alter and improve county rugby experience for all county teams which has resulted in the senior women and senior men contesting the county championships for the last 2 years on the trot and last but not least Kathleen who has been by my side over the last 50 years one way or another mostly keeping me on the straight and narrow and giving me the benefit of her advice whether I liked it or not and I hope she enjoys the next 12 months as much as we are looking forward to doing the presidency and being part of a great rugby family.
Yours in sport Tony McNally
Yorkshire President
