Hampshire RFU Adult Male Competitions – 2025 Season Update

The fixtures for the 2025 Hampshire Premiership are now complete and available – click Hampshire RFU Premiership Fixtures 2025 to see them.
As well as being on our website, they will also shortly be accessible via GMS and England Rugby. 

Fixture Adjustments

As in previous seasons, club Fixture Secretaries are welcome to reverse or amend fixture dates with the agreement of the opposition and approval from the League Secretary, Zoe Jones.
  • Minor adjustments (e.g., moving to a Wednesday-Sunday evening or changing kick-off times) are permitted up to the Tuesday before the scheduled match, again with agreement from:
    • The opposition club
    • The Referees’ Society
    • Zoe Jones
Potential Addition: Guernsey 3
We are currently exploring the inclusion of Guernsey 3 in Premiership North. If confirmed, they would take the final slot in the eight-team league.
  • If Guernsey 3 does not join, the club has been granted full flight funding to host up to 10 visiting teams, helping to ensure regular and meaningful fixtures in their calendar.
End-of-Season Playoffs
A promotion playoff series will take place across four weekends:
The format:
  • The top two teams from each Premiership conference will qualify.
  • Each qualifying team will play the top two from the opposite conference.
  • Two promotion places will be awarded based on the final standings at the end of the playoff series.
Engagement with Other Teams

For clubs not involved in the promotion playoffs, Zoe Jones and I will work closely with team representatives during the first half of the season via the Hampshire Premiership WhatsApp group to agree the most suitable post-season format for their squads.

Chris Budden
Adult Male Competition Lead

Hampshire RFU Delivers Rugby Fun at Hampshire School Games 2025

Hampshire School Games 2025

Hampshire RFU was proud to support the Hampshire School Games Sport & Physical Activity Festival 2025, held at Winchester Sport & Leisure Park and surrounding venues on Thursday 26th June.

In a huge celebration of inclusive sport, 130 children from 13 different schools from across Hampshire & IOW enjoyed an exciting introduction to rugby, with sessions delivered by a team of enthusiastic and aspiring young coaches from Barton Peveril College, Bitterne Park Sixth Form and King Edwards School. The event was a non-competitive, positive experience focused on encouraging less active children in Years 4–6 to get involved in new sports and physical activity.

The Hampshire RFU team was delighted to be part of this county-wide showcase alongside over 40 different activities, helping to inspire the next generation of players through fun, engaging rugby experiences.

As the young coaches delivered an exciting carousel of rugby activities, including Rugby Rounders, Rugby Relays and Tag Chaos, conversations with the schools teachers took place, exploring the state of rugby in schools, discussing T1 Rugby and building connections for the future.

We are proud to have contributed to such a fantastic festival and to play our part in making rugby accessible and enjoyable for all.

A special thank you to the amazing leaders who created such wonderful memories for all those who attended.

Groundforce Day 2025 at Ellingham & Ringwood RFC

Groundforce Day 2025

Ellingham members from across ERRFC teamed up on Saturday 14th June to get the club ready for the new season. A huge thank you to Hampshire RFU for providing funds to re-point the paving stones, fix some of our fencing and spruce up our physio room.

We have a huge project underway this summer to prepare the club for the Women’s RWC and the superhuman efforts of our people, from 8-80 years old will make all the difference.

 

Adult Male Competition Update – 2025 Season

Adult Male Competition Update – 2025 Season

Following a brief delay caused by issues higher up the league structure, the RFU league fixtures, originally scheduled for release on 14th June, are now confirmed. They will shortly be available on GMS and the England Rugby website.

The Merit League fixtures will be released soon after.

We’re delighted to report that the Merit Leagues have continued to grow, building on the fantastic volume of rugby played across Hampshire last season. A huge thank you to all the clubs, volunteers, and players who made that possible!

This season, the Merit Leagues will be structured into three geographic divisions of eight teams each, designed to minimise travel—a key factor in last season’s number of walkovers. In addition, a playoff series will take place in weeks 15 to 18 of the standard 10-team structured season.

As of this season, two promotion places to Counties 4 will be available.

We also plan to run a full programme of County Cup competitions. Final details will be confirmed once the RFU releases its schedule for the National Cup and Regional League Playoffs. We expect to announce these by early July.

Click here to view all the league fixtures for season 2025.

Keep Your Golden Roles up to Date in GMS

Keep Your Golden Roles up to Date in GMS

As we move through AGM season, there may be some reshuffles in your clubs’ or CB’s volunteer roles. This makes it especially important that your Golden Roles in GMS reflect your current team — ensuring you get the right information and support for your clubs.

The Game Management System (GMS) is the primary source of information for the RFU and CBs when contacting clubs. Making sure these details are accurate — and that the appropriate GMS Access is set for each person — helps keep communication clear and effective.

Additionally, Hampshire RFU’s new website uses this information to keep clubs up to date with relevant and tailored messages — whether that’s related to facilities, coaching, safeguarding, or other key aspects of community rugby.

If you’re unsure how to make these updates, please see the guides below:

Should you need further assistance, please reach out to Community Rugby Help or raise a ticket directly with the GMS Help Desk through the Feedback tile.

Thank you in advance for keeping your Golden Roles up to date — this guarantees we’re able to reach the right people with the right information at the right time. If you have any specific GMS inquiries, please feel free to get in touch with us – admin@hampshirerfu.com

 

Hampshire RFU Honda Volunteer Awards 2025 Celebrated 

The Hampshire RFU marked a joyous evening of recognition as more than 80 guests gathered to honour the outstanding dedication of volunteers across the county.

The prestigious Honda Volunteer Awards, supported by England Rugby’s national Honda Volunteer Recognition Programme, received over 100 nominations from clubs throughout Hampshire.

Hosted at Havant RFC, the ceremony brought together volunteers, club officials and County representatives to enjoy food and festivities celebrating grassroots rugby’s unsung heroes.

A total of three main award categories were honoured:

  • Unsung Hero – Hannah Avoth – Ellingham and Ringwood RFC
  • Connecting the Community – Joshua Williamson – Farnbourgh RFC
  • Game for All – Jordan Coffin and Alan Day – Millbrook RFC

Each category represents a vital aspect of volunteer contributions:

– the Unsung Hero acknowledges those working tirelessly behind the scenes;

– Game for All rewards innovation in making rugby more accessible;

– Connecting the Community celebrates those who bring clubs into closer community alignment.

At the ceremony, we were also able to announce that Hampshire were selected with 2 winner nominations to progress to the national stage, where finalists will be invited to the Honda Volunteer of the Year Gala evening at Twickenham this August.

Millbrook RFC – Jordan Coffin and Alan Day (Game for All) and Farnborough RFC – Josh Williamson (Connecting the Community) are awarded this honour.

Hampshire RFU’s continued partnership with Honda and England Rugby ensures the invaluable contributions of its volunteers receive the attention and recognition they richly deserve.

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