Winchester RFC

Rugby team

Winchester RFC

Full name| Winchester Rugby Football Club
Union| English RFU
Nickname(s)| Winch
Founded| 1929; 96 years ago (1929)
Location| Winchester, Hampshire, England
Region| Hampshire RFU
Ground(s)| North Walls Park
Chairman| Steve Barrow
Coach(es)| Matt Stagg (DoR), Gareth Martin & Chris Searle (1stXV), Sam Mann (2ndXV), Rob West (Knights)
Captain(s)| Matt Golding (1stXV), George Porter (2ndXV), Martin Raper (3rdXV), Matt Stagg (Knights)
League(s)| Regional 2 South Central
2023–24| 2nd
Official website
www.winchesterrugby.com

Winchester RFC is an English rugby union club affiliated with the Hampshire RFU.[1] Winchester currently run four senior men's teams – 1st XV – who play in Regional 2 South Central, 2nd XV – who play in Counties 2 Hampshire, a 3rd XV – who play in Counties 4 Hampshire and the Knights – largely a veteran's side who play in Hampshire 5. There is a Women's team and mini and juniors and Colts sides covering all age groups from U5s upwards.

## History

[edit]

Winchester was founded in autumn 1929 when 17 rugby enthusiasts met at the Cart & Horses pub in Kings Worthy. Up until 1971 their home ground was a field rented from a farmer in Kings Worthy when they moved to their present 10 acre ground at North Walls Park off Hilliers Way.[2]

In 1994 local businessman Ashley Levett whose sons played in the mini and junior sections invested in the club and funded an extension the clubhouse which was originally built in 1973. Levett secured the services of Winchester's first paid coach Phil Davies who orchestrated Winchester being promoted from Hampshire 1 to London Division 1 in four years and winning two Hampshire Cup victories. Levett also purchased Richmond turning them into the first professional team in England but RFU rules prevented him having financial interests in two clubs and he departed Winchester.[3]

## League record

[edit]

Winchester League Record[4] Season | Division | Tier | Pts | Position | Outcome

|
|
|
|
|

1987–88 | London 3 South West | 7 | 8 | 8 | relegated
1988–89 | Hampshire 1 | 8 | 6 | 10 |
1989–90 | Hampshire 1 | 8 | 13 | 3 |
1990–91 | Hampshire 1 | 8 | 18 | 1 | champions, promoted
1991–92 | London 3 South West | 7 | 9 | 6 |
1992–93 | London 3 South West | 7 | 10 | 8 |
1993–94 | London 3 South West | 7 | 3 | 12 | relegated
1994–95 | Hampshire 1 | 8 | 16 | 3 |
1995–96 | Hampshire 1 | 8 | 24 | 1 | champions, promoted
1996–97 | London 3 South West | 7 | 20 | 1 | champions, promoted
1997–98 | London 2 South | 6 | 26 | 2 | runners-up
1998–99 | London 2 South | 6 | 28 | 1/15 | champions, promoted
1999–00 | London Division 1 | 5 | 20 | 7/17 |
2000–01 | London Division 1 | 5 | 10 | 9/11 |
2001–02 | London Division 1 | 5 | 14 | 10/12 |
2002–03 | London Division 1 | 5 | 16 | 10/12 | relegated
2003–04 | London 2 South | 6 | 16 | 10/12 | relegated
2004–05 | London 3 South West | 7 | 21 | 4/12 |
2005–06 | London 3 South West | 7 | 22 | 5/12 |
2006–07 | London 3 South West | 7 | 22 | 6/12 |
2007–08 | London 3 South West | 7 | 22 | 6/12 |
2008–09 | London 3 South West | 7 | 9 | 12/12 | [a 1]
2009–10 | London 2 South West | 7 | 9 | 12/12 | relegated
2010–11 | London 3 South West | 8 | 51 | 8/12 |
2011–12 | London 3 South West | 8 | 68 | 5/12 |
2012–13 | London 3 South West | 8 | 93 | 1/12 | champions, promoted
2013–14 | London 2 South West | 7 | 47 | 7/12 |
2014–15 | London 2 South West | 7 | 72 | 3/12 |
2015–16 | London 2 South West | 7 | 71 | 4/12 |
2016–17 | London 2 South West | 7 | 51 | 7/12 |
2017–18 | London 2 South West | 7 | 36 | 11/12 | relegated
2018–19 | London 3 South West | 8 | 99 | 1/12 | champions, promoted
2019–20 | London 2 South West | 7 | 66 | 4/12 | league suspended [a 2]

1. ^ There was no relegation this year as the division would be renamed London Division 2 South West for the 2009-10 season and along with the whole national restructuring of the league system by the RFU lead to mass changes at all levels.
2. ^ League suspended on 16 March 2020 due to Coronavirus

Winchester II League Record Season | Division | Tier | Pts | Position | Outcome

|
|
|
|
|

2002–03 | Senior Merit |  |  |  | champions
2008–09 | Senior Merit |  | 22 | 4/9 |
2009–10 | Senior Merit |  | 14 | 10/10 | relegated
2010–11 | Merit One |  | 78 | 1/12 | champions
2011–12 | Merit One |  | 70 | 2/12 | runners up
2012–13 | Merit One |  | 74 | 1/12 | champions, promoted
2013–14 | Senior Merit |  | 21 | 6/9 |
2014–15 | Solent League |  | 50 | 3/10 |
2015–16 | Solent League |  | 27 | 4/8 |
2016–17 | Solent League |  | 14 | 6/8 |
2017–18 | Solent 1 |  | 24 | 6/8 |
2018–19 | Hampshire 1 | 10 | 0 | 12/12 | relegated [b 1]
2019–20 | Hampshire 2 | 11 | 81 | 2/12 | league suspended [b 2]

1. ^ Was not able to fulfill all fixtures so relegated with 0 points
2. ^ League suspended on 16 March 2020 due to Coronavirus

Winchester Knights/III League Record Season | Division | Tier | Pts | Position | Outcome

|
|
|
|
|

2008–09 | Merit One |  | 35 | 2/10 | runners up
2009–10 | Merit One |  | 40 | 1/9 | champions, relegated [c 1]
2010–11 | Merit Two |  | 65 | 4/12 |
2011–12 | Merit Two |  | 60 | 3/11 |
2012–13 | Merit Two |  | 75 | 1/11 | champions, promoted
2013–14 | Merit One |  | 35 | 6/11 |
2014–15 | Hampshire South West |  | 83 | 1/12 | champions
2015–16 | Solent League 2 |  | 11 | 8/8 |
2016–17 | Solent League 2 |  | 19 | 12/12 |
2017–18 | Waterfall Solent 2 |  | 42 | 3/12 |
2018–19 | Hampshire 2 | 11 | 61 | 6/12 | relegated [c 2]
2019–20 | Hampshire 3 | 12 | 53 | 5/19 | league suspended [c 3]

1. ^ Relegated due to Winchester II relegated from division above
2. ^ Relegated due to Winchester II relegated from division above
3. ^ League suspended on 16 March 2020 due to Coronavirus

## Honours

[edit]

Men's 1st XV

* Hampshire Cup winners: 1976, 1998, 1999[5]
* Hampshire 1 champions (2): 1990–91, 1995–96
* London 2 South West champions: 1996–97[a]
* London 2 South champions: 1998–99
* London 3 South West champions (2): 2012–13, 2018–19

Youth/Colts

* Hampshire Colts Division 1 champions: 2018–19[6]
* Hampshire Colts Division 1 champions: 2022–23
* Hampshire Colts Division 3 SW champions: 2018–19

## Notable club members

[edit]

* Ben Donnell, lock/back-row who plays for London Irish and has represented  England at U18 and U20 level.[7][8]
* Joe Marchant, centre who played for Winchester as a school boy from 2002–12, Hampshire, Harlequins, Auckland Blues and  England.[9]
* Matt Durrant, flanker who played for Winchester and represented the  Netherlands in Touch rugby.[10]
* Chris Ashwin, fly-half who played for Winchester, Hampshire and Bristol.
* Andy Fields, hooker who played for Hong Kong and Valley, represented  England at U20 and U18 level and was Head Coach of Winchester for seven years.[11]
* Rolf Stratford, started playing with Winchester with stints at New Brighton and Rosslyn Park and represented British Polytechnics, English Students and Hampshire, returning to Winchester as a player, coach for many teams and was the club's President.
* Budge Pountney, flanker who won 31 caps and captained  Scotland and was a player and then Director of Rugby at Northampton Saints.[12]
* LeRoy Angel BEM, winger, played over 500 times for Winchester, most capped wing three-quarter for Hampshire, President of the RFU in 2005[13]
* Ernest Beddard Jackson, prop who played over 200 times for Winchester and also for Worcester and had four  England call ups between 1952-53.[14]
* Charles Sylvester Wooldridge, played for Blackheath and  England seven times between 1882 and 1885, was the club's first President.[15]

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ When London 2 South West was known as London 3 South West (not to be confused with the current London 3 South West).

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "HRFU Club Directory". Hampshire RFU. Archived from the original on 2016-09-23. Retrieved 2019-01-27.
2. ^ "Winchester RFC through the years". Hampshire Chronicle. Retrieved 2019-01-27.
3. ^ Smith, John (2009). Come On Winch!. p. 90.
4. ^ Smith, John (2009). Come On Winch!. p. 130.
5. ^ "Hampshire Club Competition History" (PDF). Hampshire RFU. Retrieved 2019-01-27.
6. ^ "Colts Standings Div 1-3". Hampshire RFU. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
7. ^ "Ben Donnell". England Rugby. Retrieved 2019-08-20.
8. ^ "Ben Donnell". England Rugby. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
9. ^ "Hotshots Harlequins Centre Joe Marchant". Rugby World. Retrieved 2019-01-29.
10. ^ "Representative History of the European Championships" (PDF). internationaltouch.org. Retrieved 2021-09-27.
11. ^ "Fields bids farewell to Winchester after seven years". Daily Echo. Retrieved 2019-05-05.
12. ^ "Pountney and the forgotten F word". Independent. Retrieved 2019-01-29.
13. ^ "Hampshire full of pride for LeRoy". Daily Echo. Retrieved 2019-01-28.
14. ^ "Hidden notebooks reveal remarkable sporting life". Worcester News. Retrieved 2019-01-28.
15. ^ "Winchester's rugby club hits 80". bbc.co.uk. 2 December 2009. Retrieved 2019-01-28.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website

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