By Elliott Josypenko
October 10 2005

Pertemps Bees winger Nick Baxter has been rewarded for his outstanding contribution to rugby in the area over the past ten years with the award of a benefit this season. Pertemps Bees winger Nick Baxter has been rewarded for his outstanding contribution to rugby in the area over the past ten years with the award of a benefit this season.
The leading try-scorer in English league history has been honoured by the Bees' board in recognition of the service he has given to the Sharmans Cross Road club for five years and before that with Worcester and Kings Norton.
The benefit will feature three major fund-raising events, a dinner before Christmas, a golf day in the spring and a star-studded match against an Invitation to round off the season.
"It's a huge honour and it's something that I never expected when I started out at Kings Norton all those years ago," Baxter said.
"I know that not many players are awarded benefits or testimonials and the fact that this is the first time that the Bees have done something like this makes it a very special honour.
"A committee has been set up to work on the three fund-raising functions. The match at the end of the season is going to be a big one but we haven't yet decided who will be the opposition.
"I hoped that it might be the Barbarians, but they are pretty busy at that time of the year. It's probably going to be either the Penguins or Public School Wanderers, both invitation clubs who will put out a strong side of internationals and Premiership players."
Baxter toured Sri Lanka with the Public School Wanderers in July where he returned as leading try-scorer. He has also proved popular with the Barbarians' selectors, touring Portugal in 2004 and playing for the famous invitation club against Combined Services and East Midlands last season.
Baxter ranks playing for the Barbarians along with representing England in rugby sevens at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, helping the Bees defeat Wasps in the 2004 Powergen Cup quarter-finals and scoring six tries against Pershore on his Kings Norton debut as the highlights of his illustrious career.
"I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Phil Maynard because he was the coach who gave me chance at Kings Norton, he showed faith in me by signing me for Worcester and he's now my coach at the Bees," Baxter said.
"I will always be grateful to Phil for the faith he has invested in me but I would like to think that I have repaid a little bit of faith down the line."