Counties 1 Hampshire

Counties 1 Hampshire
Current season or competition:
2025–26 Counties 1 Hampshire
SportRugby union
Instituted2022
Number of teams12
Country England
HoldersHavant II (2024–25)
Most titlesHavant II, Jersey and Petersfield (1 title)
Website[1]

Counties 1 Hampshire is an English level 7 rugby union regional league for rugby clubs in Hampshire and West Sussex and is administered by Hampshire Rugby[1] [2] Havant II are the current champions.

Structure and format

The twelve teams play home and away matches from September through to April, making a total of twenty-two matches each. The results of the matches contribute points to the league as follows:

  • 4 points are awarded for a win.
  • 2 points are awarded for a draw.
  • 0 points are awarded for a loss.

In addition:

  • 1 losing (bonus) point is awarded to a team that loses a match by 7 points or fewer
  • 1 additional (bonus) point is awarded to a team scoring 4 tries or more in a match

Promotion is to Regional 2 South Central which hosts teams from Dorset, Surrey, Berkshire, West Sussex & Hampshire; whilst relegation is to Counties 2 Hampshire.

2025–26

Participating teams and locations

Departing were Havant II (1st) and Ellingham & Ringwood (2nd), promoted to Regional 2 South Central while New Milton (11th) and Trojans (12th) were relegated to Counties 2 Hampshire. Incoming teams were Millbrook (1st) and Winchester II (2nd), both promoted from Counties 2 Hampshire, while Chichester (11th) and Andover (12th) were both relegated from Regional 2 Central.

2024–25

Participating teams and locations

Departing were Petersfield[3] and Andover[4] promoted to Regional 2 South Central; there was no relegation to Counties 2 Hampshire. Promoted from Counties 2 Hampshire were Sandown & Shanklin,[5] Basingstoke and Guernsey St Jacques Vikings – an amateur club who are the 2XV to Guernsey Raiders. With two leaving and three joining the league was restored to twelve teams.

League table

Counties 1 Hampshire 2024–25
Team Played Won Drawn Lost Points for Points against Points diff Try bonus Loss bonus Points Adjust
1 Havant II (P) 22 22 0 0 1302 432 870 22 0 110
2 Ellingham & Ringwood (P) 22 18 0 4 753 436 317 13 2 87
3 Basingstoke 22 15 0 7 613 549 64 12 2 74
4 Gosport and Fareham 22 15 0 7 628 443 185 10 2 72
5 Bognor 22 9 2 11 457 594 −137 10 2 52
6 Guernsey Vikings 22 9 0 13 531 594 −63 10 5 52 +1
7 Portsmouth 22 11 0 11 553 416 137 8 4 51 −5
8 Sandown & Shanklin 22 8 1 13 529 635 −106 12 3 50 +1
9 Eastleigh 22 8 1 13 539 668 −129 10 3 48
10 Bournemouth II 22 7 2 13 459 673 −214 8 3 43
11 Trojans (R) 22 5 0 17 527 805 −278 10 4 34
12 New Milton & District (R) 22 2 0 20 248 894 −646 2 3 3 −10
  • If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
  1. Number of matches won
  2. Number of draws
  3. Difference between points for and against
  4. Total number of points for
  5. Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
  6. Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
Green background are the promotion places. Pink background are the relegation places.
Source:[10]

2023–24

Participating teams and locations

Departing were Jersey and Winchester promoted to Regional 2 South Central. Basingstoke finished 12th and were relegated to Counties 2 Hampshire. Alton finished 11th and would also have been relegated but declined to compete in the RFU leagues in 2023–24. With four teams leaving and only three joining the league ran with eleven sides.

League table

Counties 1 Hampshire 2023–24
Team Played Won Drawn Lost Points for Points against Points diff Try bonus Loss bonus Points Adjust
1 Petersfield (P) 20 19 1 0 968 214 754 18 0 98 +2
2 Andover (P) 20 17 0 3 784 421 363 16 0 84
3 Havant II 20 13 1 6 731 591 140 14 2 70
4 Gosport and Fareham 20 11 2 7 656 520 136 13 3 64
5 Portsmouth 20 10 1 9 495 410 85 6 4 52
6 Ellingham & Ringwood 20 9 1 10 506 684 −178 9 1 48
7 Eastleigh 20 9 0 11 534 490 44 7 5 48
8 Trojans 20 8 0 12 493 856 −363 8 2 42
9 Bognor 20 5 0 15 380 649 −269 7 2 29
10 New Milton & District 20 3 1 16 379 654 −275 6 7 27
11 Bournemouth II 20 2 1 17 281 718 −437 5 2 7 −10
  • If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
  1. Number of matches won
  2. Number of draws
  3. Difference between points for and against
  4. Total number of points for
  5. Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
  6. Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
Green background are the promotion places.
Source:[14]

2022–23

Participating clubs and locations

This was the first season following the RFU Adult Competition Review. The league was similar to London 3 South West with six of the same sides, while two teams – Gosport & Fareham and Havant II – from Hampshire Premier (level 8) were promoted to fill the league, and two – Eastleigh and Winchester – were level transferred from London 2 South West (level 7).[15] London 3SW teams from Surrey, Sussex and SW London were absorbed into Counties 1 Surrey/Sussex. The league was supplemented by the addition of Bournemouth 2XV and Jersey.

League table

Counties 1 Hampshire 2022–23
Team Played Won Drawn Lost Points for Points against Points diff Try bonus Loss bonus Points Adjust
1 Jersey (P) 21 21 0 0 1130 183 947 17 0 104 +3
2 Winchester (P) 22 19 0 3 888 247 641 15 0 93 +2
3 Havant II 22 16 0 6 878 385 493 16 2 82
4 Andover 22 13 0 9 587 427 160 9 6 67
5 Eastleigh 22 13 0 9 553 656 −103 10 1 63
6 Gosport and Fareham 22 11 1 10 520 548 −28 10 3 59
7 Portsmouth 22 9 0 13 428 712 −284 6 2 44
8 Trojans 22 7 0 15 554 576 −22 9 7 44
9 Bournemouth II 21 6 1 14 377 621 −244 5 5 36
10 Petersfield 22 6 1 15 345 982 −637 4 1 31
11 Alton 22 6 0 16 373 735 −362 2 2 23 −5
12 Basingstoke (R) 22 2 1 19 275 836 −561 2 4 16
  • If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
  1. Number of matches won
  2. Number of draws
  3. Difference between points for and against
  4. Total number of points for
  5. Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
  6. Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
Green background are the promotion places. Pink background is the relegation place.
Source:[17]

Counties 1 Hampshire honours (2022–present)

Following the RFU Adult Competition Review, the league was made up of ten clubs from Hampshire, one from Jersey and one from Bournemouth, Dorset. Promotion is to Regional 2 South Central while relegation is to Counties 2 Hampshire.

Counties 1 Hampshire
Season No of teams Champions Runner-up Relegated team(s) Ref
2022–23 12 Jersey Winchester Basingstoke (12th) [17]
2023–24 11 Petersfield Andover No relegation. Bournemouth II (11th) [14]
2024–25 12 Havant Ellingham & Ringwood Trojans (11th) and New Milton & District (12th) [10]
Green backgrounds are the promotion places.

Summary of champions and runners-up

Team Champions Year(s) Runner-up Year(s)
Jersey 1 2023
Petersfield 1 2024
Havant II 1 2025
Winchester 2023 1
Andover 2024 1
Ellingham & Ringwood 2025 1

References

  1. ^ "ADULT COMPETITIONS – HAMPSHIRE DOMESTIC LEAGUES" (PDF). Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  2. ^ "RFU League Statistics". L&SE RFU. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  3. ^ "Hampshire Counties Division 1 rugby: Petersfield beat Ellingham & Ringwood". New Milton Advertiser & Lymington Times Photography. 27 March 2024.
  4. ^ "Andover crush Bournemouth to secure long-awaited promotion". Andover Advertiser. 10 April 2024.
  5. ^ "Sandown and Shanklin RFC 1XV gain promotion to Counties 1 Hampshire League". Andrew Cooper Photography. 8 April 2024.
  6. ^ "Rugby: Basingstoke crush Tadley in Papa John's Cup". Basingstoke Gazette. 15 April 2024.
  7. ^ a b c "Bournemouth Rugby". Bournemouth Rugby. 27 May 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  8. ^ "Raiders run riot and Vikings promoted on try-filled afternoon". Guernsey Press. 8 April 2024.
  9. ^ "PROMOTED AS CHAMPIONS – SANDOWN & SHANKLIN RFC EARN HISTORIC WIN AWAY AT WINCHESTER RFC". Island Echo. 9 April 2024.
  10. ^ a b "Counties 1 Hampshire 2024–25". Rugby England. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  11. ^ "Chichester and Bognor rugby players raring to go again". Sussex Express. 1 September 2023.
  12. ^ "Ellingham and Ringwood Rugby Club gearing up for new season". Salisbury Journal. 7 August 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  13. ^ "Hampshire Counties One rugby: New Milton falls just short on league debut". New Milton Advertiser & Lymington Times Photography. 21 September 2023.
  14. ^ a b "Counties 1 Hampshire 2023–24". Rugby England. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  15. ^ "Newly-promoted Gosport & Fareham RFC maintain 100 per cent Counties 1 Hampshire run by beating Portsmouth". The Portsmouth News. 26 September 2022.
  16. ^ "History Of Rugby In Eastleigh". Eastleigh Pirates. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  17. ^ a b "Counties 1 Hampshire 2022–23". Rugby England. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
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