Counties 1 Hampshire

Counties 1 Hampshire

Current season or competition: 2024–25 Counties 1 Hampshire
Sport	Rugby union
Number of teams	12
Country	England
Website	England Rugby

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] and the London & SE RFU. ^[2]

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.

Teams for 2024-25

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.

Team Ground Capacity City/Area Previous season Basingstoke Down Grange Basingstoke, Hampshire Promoted from Counties 2 Hampshire (runners-up) [6] Bognor Hampshire Avenue Bognor Regis, West Sussex 9th Bournemouth II Chapel Gate [7] Bournemouth, Dorset 11th Eastleigh The Hub Eastleigh, Hampshire 7th Ellingham & Ringwood Parsonage Barn Lane Ringwood, Hampshire 6th Gosport & Fareham Gosport Park Gosport, Hampshire 4th Guernsey Vikings Footes Lane 5,000 (720 seats) Saint Peter Port, Guernsey Promoted from Counties 2 Hampshire (3rd) [8] Havant II Hook's Lane 1,500 Havant, Hampshire 3rd New Milton & District Ashley Recreation Ground Ashley, New Milton, Hampshire 10th Portsmouth The Rugby Camp Portsmouth, Hampshire 5th Sandown & Shanklin The Fairway Ground Sandown, Isle of Wight Promoted from Counties 2 Hampshire (champions) [9] Trojans Stoneham Lane Eastleigh, Hampshire 8th

Basingstoke Bognor Bournemouth II Eastleigh Ellingham & Ringwood G & F Guernsey Havant II New Milton Portsmouth Trojans class=notpageimage| Locations of the 2024-25 Counties 1 Hampshire teams in Hampshire, Dorset, West Sussex & the Channel Islands Sandown & Shanklin class=notpageimage| Locations of the 2024-25 Counties 1 Hampshire teams on the Isle of Wight

Teams for 2023-24

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.

Team Ground Capacity City/Area Previous season Andover Foxcotte Lane Andover, Hampshire 4th Bognor Hampshire Avenue Bognor Regis, West Sussex Promoted from Counties 2 Hampshire (runners-up) [10] Bournemouth II Chapel Gate [7] Bournemouth, Dorset 9th Eastleigh The Hub Eastleigh, Hampshire 5th Ellingham & Ringwood Parsonage Barn Lane Ringwood, Hampshire Promoted from Counties 2 Hampshire (champions) [11] Gosport & Fareham Gosport Park Gosport, Hampshire 6th Havant II Hook's Lane 1,500 Havant, Hampshire 3rd New Milton & District Ashley Recreation Ground Ashley, New Milton, Hampshire Promoted from Counties 2 Hampshire (3rd) [12] Petersfield Penn's Place Petersfield, Hampshire 10th Portsmouth The Rugby Camp Portsmouth, Hampshire 7th Trojans Stoneham Lane Eastleigh, Hampshire 8th

Andover Bognor Bournemouth II Eastleigh Ellingham & Ringwood G & F Havant II New Milton Petersfield Portsmouth Trojans class=notpageimage| Locations of the 2023-24 Counties 1 Hampshire teams in Hampshire, Dorset and West Sussex

Teams for 2022-23

This was the first season following the RFU Adult Competition Review. The league was substantially similar to London 3 South West with six of the same sides whilst two teams - Gosport & Fareham ^[13] and Havant II - from Hampshire Premier (level 8) were drawn up to fill the league and two - Eastleigh and Winchester - were drawn in from London 2 South West (level 7). 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.

Team Ground Capacity City/Area Previous season Alton Antsey Park Alton, Hampshire 9th L3SW Andover Foxcotte Lane Andover, Hampshire 5th L3SW Basingstoke Down Grange Basingstoke, Hampshire 11th L3SW Bournemouth II Chapel Gate [7] Bournemouth, Dorset New entry Eastleigh The Hub Eastleigh, Hampshire 4th L2SW [14] Gosport & Fareham Gosport Park Gosport, Hampshire 2nd Hampshire Premier Havant II Hook's Lane 1,500 Havant, Hampshire 1st Hampshire Premier Jersey St Peter Saint Peter, Jersey New entry Petersfield Penn's Place Petersfield, Hampshire 2nd L3SW Portsmouth The Rugby Camp Portsmouth, Hampshire 10th L3SW Trojans Stoneham Lane Eastleigh, Hampshire 7th L3SW Winchester North Walls Park Winchester, Hampshire 7th L2SW

Alton Andover Basingstoke Bournemouth II Eastleigh G & F Havant II Jersey Petersfield Portsmouth Trojans Winchester class=notpageimage| Locations of the 2022-23 Counties 1 Hampshire teams in Hampshire Dorset & the Channel Islands

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. "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. "Chichester and Bognor rugby players raring to go again". Sussex Express. 1 September 2023.
11. "Ellingham and Ringwood Rugby Club gearing up for new season". Salisbury Journal. 7 August 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
12. "Hampshire Counties One rugby: New Milton falls just short on league debut". New Milton Advertiser & Lymington Times Photography. 21 September 2023.
13. "Newly-promoted Gosport & Fareham RFC maintain 100 per cent Counties 1 Hampshire run by beating Portsmouth". The Portsmouth News. 26 September 2022.
14. "History Of Rugby In Eastleigh". Eastleigh Pirates. Retrieved 23 August 2024.