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 1 Hampshire, a 3rd XV – who play in Counties 4 Hampshire and the Knights – largely a veteran's side who play in Counties 5 Hampshire. There is a women's team and mini and juniors and colts sides covering all age groups from under-5s upwards.

History Winchester was founded in autumn 1929 when seventeen 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 +Winchester League RecordSeason 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, promoted1997–98 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 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, promoted2019–20 London 2 South West 7 66 4/12 league suspended

+Winchester II League RecordSeason 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 champions2011–12 Merit One 70 2/12 runners up2012–13 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

+Winchester Knights/III League RecordSeason Division Tier Pts Position Outcome 2008–09 Merit One 35 2/10 runners up2009–10 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 champions2015–16 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 (2): 1990–91, 1995–96 London 2 South West champions: 1996–97 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 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.

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