To some, Adam was known as Hunty and others Skipper, either one he was always seen as a great friend. Adam and I grew up together, from primary to secondary school and from football with Parkmere to rugby at Chis and Sid. There have been so many happy memories from that time, which will remain with me for years to come, but I would like to share some memories I and others have from our time together on the rugby pitch. By year ten, Adam was the clear choice for our future first XV captain. By year 13 though, many would have thought he would have grown a bit more! Nevertheless, he was an obvious and well suited candidate for captaincy with his exceptional skill level, respect from all those around him and his unselfish commitment to the school. It was personally a proud moment to see the friend I had known since 8 step out at Bideford rugby club as the new Chis and Sid captain. It was also a pleasure to be his vice. Adam’s captaincy season of 2005 to 2006 was the most successful Chis and Sid had for 25 years, winning all structured fixtures and also a dinner plate at the Blackheath floodlit cup. He was always the hardest working player on the pitch, but still found the time during a game to show off his knowledge of the French language and charm on the female referees! He managed to not only be a great captain on the pitch, but also kept all the team together off the pitch socially, making us down pints on chairs after important wins and generally ensuring that everybody was there whenever we went out. There is one memory from that season that sums up the way Adam was on a rugby pitch. Having finished the normal structured season, we were somewhat pushed into playing a fundraiser game against the highly rated Whitgift School. With the younger boys on tour with their club team, we were short of a few regular players, only getting worse with Adam gaining an injury a week before the game at a sevens tournament. Any normal player would have been completely ruled out of the game, but Adam being Adam, the passionate captain, meant nothing was going to stop him playing the team’s final game of the season. After letting Foz strap up his damaged shoulder using a sponge, something which isn’t as uncommon as some would think in the Chis and Sid changing room, we were ready. Everybody would have forgiven Adam for holding back a little and playing within himself due to his injury. Instead, Adam was sensational. Making tackle after tackle, always wanting to run with the ball and never taking a step backwards, he was willing to risk worsening the injury for his team, he was determined not to let anybody down showing how much rugby and his team mates meant to him, which ultimately won us the game. This performance was not a one off, Adam had been leading us all season and so there was no surprise when he was voted players’ player of the season at the rugby dinner. I would just like to say that on behalf of not only the rugby lads from Adam’s captaincy season, but also from others who had played with him from the previous two seasons, it was a pleasure to have known him, a privilege to have played with him, and an honour to have followed him onto the rugby pitch. He will be remembered as the captain who had purple running through him and will always be close in our hearts. Jamie Cutler, 18th July 2007.