Winchester RFC

Winchester RFC is an English rugby union club that is 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 Hampshire 2, a 3rd XV - who play in Hampshire 4 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. The men's 1st XV currently play in Regional 2 South Central - a tier 6 league in the English rugby union system - having won promotion from Hampshire 1 at the end of the 2022-23 season.

Winchester RFC
Full nameWinchester Rugby Football Club
UnionEnglish RFU
Nickname(s)Winch
Founded1929 (1929)
LocationWinchester, Hampshire, England
RegionHampshire RFU
Ground(s)North Walls Park
ChairmanSteve 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
2022–232nd
Official website
www.winchesterrugby.com

History

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
Winchester League Record[4]
SeasonDivisionTierPtsPositionOutcome
1987–88London 3 South West788relegated
1988–89Hampshire 18610
1989–90Hampshire 18133
1990–91Hampshire 18181champions, promoted
1991–92London 3 South West796
1992–93London 3 South West7108
1993–94London 3 South West7312relegated
1994–95Hampshire 18163
1995–96Hampshire 18241champions, promoted
1996–97London 3 South West7201champions, promoted
1997–98London 2 South6262runners-up
1998–99London 2 South6281/15champions, promoted
1999–00London Division 15207/17
2000–01London Division 15109/11
2001–02London Division 151410/12
2002–03London Division 151610/12relegated
2003–04London 2 South61610/12relegated
2004–05London 3 South West7214/12
2005–06London 3 South West7225/12
2006–07London 3 South West7226/12
2007–08London 3 South West7226/12
2008–09London 3 South West7912/12[a 1]
2009–10London 2 South West7912/12relegated
2010–11London 3 South West8518/12
2011–12London 3 South West8685/12
2012–13London 3 South West8931/12champions, promoted
2013–14London 2 South West7477/12
2014–15London 2 South West7723/12
2015–16London 2 South West7714/12
2016–17London 2 South West7517/12
2017–18London 2 South West73611/12relegated
2018–19London 3 South West8991/12champions, promoted
2019–20London 2 South West7664/12league 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
SeasonDivisionTierPtsPositionOutcome
2002–03Senior Meritchampions
2008–09Senior Merit224/9
2009–10Senior Merit1410/10relegated
2010–11Merit One781/12champions
2011–12Merit One702/12runners up
2012–13Merit One741/12champions, promoted
2013–14Senior Merit216/9
2014–15Solent League503/10
2015–16Solent League274/8
2016–17Solent League146/8
2017–18Solent 1246/8
2018–19Hampshire 110012/12relegated [b 1]
2019–20Hampshire 211812/12league 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
SeasonDivisionTierPtsPositionOutcome
2008–09Merit One352/10runners up
2009–10Merit One401/9champions, relegated [c 1]
2010–11Merit Two654/12
2011–12Merit Two603/11
2012–13Merit Two751/11champions, promoted
2013–14Merit One356/11
2014–15Hampshire South West831/12champions
2015–16Solent League 2118/8
2016–17Solent League 21912/12
2017–18Waterfall Solent 2423/12
2018–19Hampshire 211616/12relegated [c 2]
2019–20Hampshire 312535/19league 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

Men's 1st XV

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
  • 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
  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
  1. "HRFU Club Directory". Hampshire RFU. 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.
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