Winchester RFC

Winchester RFC is an English rugby union club affiliated with the Hampshire RFU. 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.

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.
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.

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
2019–20	Hampshire 2	11	81	2/12	league suspended

Season	Division	Tier	Pts	Position	Outcome
2008–09	Merit One		35	2/10	runners up
2009–10	Merit One		40	1/9	champions, relegated
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
2019–20	Hampshire 3	12	53	5/19	league suspended

Honours

Men's 1st XV

Hampshire Cup winners: 1976, 1998, 1999
Hampshire 1 champions : 1990–91, 1995–96
London 2 South West champions: 1996–97
London 2 South champions: 1998–99
London 3 South West champions : 2012–13, 2018–19

Youth/Colts

Hampshire Colts Division 1 champions: 2018–19
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 at U18 and U20 level.
Joe Marchant, centre who played for Winchester as a school boy from 2002–12, Hampshire, Harlequins, Auckland Blues 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.
Andy Fields, hooker who played for Hong Kong and Valley, 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, 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 and was a player and then Director of Rugby at Northampton Saints.
LeRoy Angel BEM, winger, played over 500 times for Winchester, most capped wing three-quarter for Hampshire, President of the RFU in 2005
Ernest Beddard Jackson, prop who played over 200 times for Winchester and also for Worcester 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.