Ryan Holder has been awarded Monmouth Rugby Club’s Player of the Month for December, reports GARETH ROBERTS.

The award -– sponsored by Rockfield Distillery – is strong recognition for a player returning to the sport after a 10-year absence and whose comeback has been virtually seamless.

He has spent much of the last decade playing football for Monmouth Town and Redbrook.

And he has proven to be a great team player, demonstrated by his willingness to completely change positions to help out the WRU East Division 1 side.

Having started as a centre in the back division he has now ‘graduated’ to the pack and the back row, where he has become almost ever present, appearing in all bar three of Monmouth’s 16 league games so far this season.