Winchester RFC is an English

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

club that is affiliated with the Hampshire RFU. Winchester currently run three senior men's teams - 1st XV, 2nd XV - who play in

Hampshire 2 Hampshire 2 is an English level 11 rugby union league for teams based in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. It was originally known as Hampshire 3 until the 2008–09 season when it was discontinued, but the division was reinstated as Hampshire 2 ...

and a 3rd XV (Winchester Knights - largely a veteran's side) who play in Hampshire 3. 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

London 2 South West London 2 South West is an English level 7 Rugby Union League. When this division began in 1987 it was known as London 3 South West, changing to its current name ahead of the 2009–10 season. The division is made up of teams predominantly fro ...

- a tier 7 league in the

English rugby union system Men's Rugby union in England consists of 106 leagues, which includes professional leagues at the highest level, down to amateur regional leagues. Promotion and relegation are in place throughout the system. Women's Rugby union in England cons ...

- having won promotion as champions of

London 3 South West London 3 South West is an English rugby union league at the eighth level of club rugby union in England involving sides based in Hampshire, Surrey and south-west London. Promoted clubs move into London 2 South West. Relegated clubs move into ...

at the end of the 2018-19 season.

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. 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 Hampshire 1 is an English level 10 Rugby Union league for teams based in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Up until the 2017–18 season it was known as Hampshire 2 but was changed to Hampshire 1 following the restructuring of the Hampshire lea ...

to London Division 1 in four years and winning two Hampshire Cup victories. Levett also purchased

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

turning them into the first professional team in England but RFU rules prevented him having financial interests in two clubs and he departed Winchester.

League record

Honours

Men's 1st XV * Hampshire Cup winners: 1976, 1998, 1999 *

champions (2): 1990–91, 1995–96 *

champions: 1996–97 *

London 2 South {{Use British English, date=May 2015 London 2 South is an English league of Rugby Union teams, representing the second level in the Rugby Football Union's London & South East Division, making it a Level 6 league in the RFU's league hierarchy. The ...

champions: 1998–99 *

champions (2): 2012–13, 2018–19 Youth/Colts *Hampshire Colts Division 1 champions: 2018–19

Notable club members

* Ben Donnell, lock/back-row who plays for

London Irish London Irish RFC is a professional rugby union club which competes in the Premiership, the top division of English rugby union. The club has also competed in the Anglo-Welsh Cup, the European Champions Cup and European Challenge Cup. While ...

and has represented at U18 and U20 level. * Joe Marchant, centre who played for Winchester as a school boy from 2002–12, Hampshire, Harlequins,

Auckland Blues The Blues (known as the Auckland Blues from 1996 to 2000) is a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Auckland, who play in the Super Rugby competition. Like New Zealand's four other Super Rugby teams, the Blues were established by ...

and . * Matt Durrant, flanker who played for Winchester and represented the in Touch rugby. * Chris Ashwin, fly-half who played for Winchester, Hampshire and

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

. * Andy Fields, hooker who played for

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

and

Valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between Hill, hills or Mountain, mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers ...

, represented at U20 and U18 level and was Head Coach of Winchester for seven years. * Rolf Stratford, started playing with Winchester with stints at New Brighton and Rosslyn Park and represented British Polytechnics, English Students and

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...

, returning to Winchester as a player, coach for many teams and was the club's President. *

Budge Pountney Anthony Charles 'Budge' Pountney (born 13 November 1973) is a rugby union coach and retired player. A flanker, he played in the Northampton Saints side that won the 1999–2000 Heineken Cup. Pountney was born in Southampton in England, but ha ...

, flanker who won 31 caps and captained and was a player and then Director of Rugby at

Northampton Saints Northampton Saints (officially Northampton Rugby Football Club) is a professional rugby union club from Northampton, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby. They were formed in 1880 as "Northampton St. James", ...

. *LeRoy Angel BEM, winger, played over 500 times for Winchester, most capped wing three-quarter for

, President of the

RFU The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is the national governing body for rugby union in England. It was founded in 1871, and was the sport's international governing body prior to the formation of what is now known as World Rugby (WR) in 1886. It pro ...

in 2005 *Ernest Beddard Jackson, prop who played over 200 times for Winchester and also for

Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Engla ...

and had four call ups between 1952-53. *Charles Sylvester Wooldridge, played for Blackheath and seven times between 1882 and 1885, was the club's first President.

Notes

References

External links

* {{Rugby union in England Bedhampton Sport in Winchester English rugby union teams Rugby clubs established in 1929 Rugby union clubs in Hampshire