Warlingham, the area’s biggest rugby club, has elected Debbie Lockwood as its new president. It makes the Hamsey Green-based club the first in Surrey to have a woman president.

Lockwood is the club’s 22nd president. She has been a member of the club for 30 years, including serving as the honorary secretary for the past 12 years.

Lockwood’s election coincides with the rapid growth of Warlingham’s women’s section.

This saw, among the awards presented at last week’s annual meeting, the Surrey County Rugby’s Volunteer Recognition Award to Craig McIntosh, Phil Mamode, Joe Sullivan and Ella Leonard for their development of the women’s and girls’ Warlingham Wildcats section, now the third largest in the county.