Better Together: Hampshire RFU Helps Shape the Future of Player Development

While the 2025/26 season may have drawn to a close on the pitch, planning for the future is already well underway.

Last weekend, Hampshire RFU’s U16 Player Development Group (PDG) coaching team was represented at the RFU Foundation Phase PDG Conference by Rhys O’Leary, who joined coaches and player developers from across England at the home of the Football Association at St George’s Park, Burton upon Trent.

The conference centred around a simple but powerful theme: “Better Together.” The message was clear – while every Constituent Body has its own identity and local challenges, the future of player development lies in working more collaboratively, sharing best practice and delivering a more consistent experience for young players across the country.

The day explored three fundamental questions that will continue to shape the evolution of PDG programme:

Why?
Revisiting the individual and collective purpose of Foundation Phase programmes and ensuring every decision is rooted in supporting long-term player development.

Who?
Developing a shared understanding of the players we are looking to identify, how we assess them, and being realistic about the number of players we can effectively support to maximise their development.

How?
Ensuring coaching, learning and playing opportunities are fully aligned with the wider player development strategy, recognising that meaningful development happens over time, not simply through playing opportunities, but through a connected programme of coaching and experiences.

The themes align closely with Hampshire RFU’s own commitment to providing high-quality development opportunities that put the needs of young players first. Following another successful season for the county’s representative and development programmes – both on and off the field, insights from the conference will help shape planning for the 2026/27 season and beyond.

As Hampshire continues to strengthen its PDG pathway, events such as this ensure our coaches remain connected to national thinking while bringing fresh ideas back into the county.

Hampshire RFU AGM and Awards 2026: Celebrating a Year of Progress and Achievement

While much of the country settled down to watch England take on Argentina, more than 70 club representatives, volunteers, players and award winners gathered at Romsey RFC for Hampshire RFU’s 2026 Annual General Meeting and Awards Evening.

The evening combined the formal business of the Union with a celebration of another outstanding year for rugby across Hampshire, recognising the achievements of our clubs, representative players, volunteers and coaches who continue to make rugby thrive across the county.

Members unanimously approved both the AGM and AFGM minutes before reflecting on a year that has seen Hampshire continue to deliver against its 2025-2028 Strategy – Building a Stronger Future Together.

Following two years of review, modernisation and laying stronger foundations, the evening highlighted encouraging progress across each of the counties three strategic missions, seeing more people playing rugby across Hampshire, investment into clubs increasing, and volunteers receiving greater support and recognition.

Hampshire RFU’s recently published it’s Annual Report, which reflects on the progress made during the first year of the strategy while openly acknowledging the challenges that remain around player retention, club sustainability and volunteer recruitment.

Read the Annual Report here

Reflecting on the evening, Hampshire RFU Chair Neil McRoberts said:

“After a two-year journey of review, modernisation and building strong foundations, Hampshire has made a strong start in the first year of our strategy. More players, more investment into clubs and greater support and recognition for volunteers are clear signs of progress. But this is just the beginning as we continue to take on the challenges of player retention, club sustainability, and recruiting and supporting the volunteers who make our game possible.”

Celebrating Hampshire Rugby

Following the AGM, attention turned to celebrating the people and clubs who have made the past season so memorable.

Hosted by Hampshire RFU President Gary Self, the Hampshire RFU Awards recognised success from every corner of the game, from league champions and representative honours through to volunteers, coaches and clubs making an outstanding contribution to rugby in Hampshire.

This year’s awards marked two important milestones.

For the first time, the Age Grade Coach of the Year and Peter Ebbs Senior Coach of the Year awards were presented as part of the Hampshire RFU Awards, bringing every major county honour together under one roof.

The evening also saw the introduction of two new representative rugby awards.

The Hannan and Moore U17 Trophy was introduced in honour of the first coaches to lead Hampshire’s U17 Boys representative programme. Recognising players at a pivotal point in their rugby journey as they transition towards Colts rugby, the award celebrates commitment, leadership and character that define Hampshire representative rugby.

The Ed Neville U18 Girls Award, named after Past President Ed Neville, recognises his longstanding commitment to and passionate support of women’s and girls’ rugby in Hampshire. The award celebrates exceptional talent, commitment and performance throughout the U18 Girls representative programme while recognising the attitude and dedication that inspire those around them.

Award Winners

Adult Male League & Cup Winners

Competition Winner
Counties 1 Hampshire Champions (NEWS Challenge Trophy) Bognor RFC
Counties 2 Hampshire Champions (ECHO Cup) Farnham II
Counties 3 Hampshire Champions (PINNOCK Cup) Ventnor RFC
Counties 4 Hampshire Champions Fawley RFC
Counties 5 Hampshire Champions Sandown & Shanklin II
Counties 6 South Champions Fareham Heathens II
Counties 6 North Champions Farnborough RFC
Veterans Cup Winners Tottonians RFC
Veterans Plate Winners Portsmouth RFC
Counties 1 & 2 Cup Winners Basingstoke RFC
Counties 3 & 4 Cup Winners Farnborough RFC
Counties 3 & 4 Reserve Cup Winners Tottonians RFC

Representative Rugby Awards

Award Winner Club
Brian Short Memorial Trophy Evie Smith Portsmouth RFC
Robbie Keast U16 Girls Award Imogen Lane Trojans FC
Hannan and Moore U17 Trophy (Inaugural Winner) Thomas Read Havant RFC
Robbie Keast U18 Boys Award George Musselwhite Havant RFC
Ed Neville U18 Girls Award (Inaugural Winner) Jessica Chivers Trojans FC
John Sneezum U20 Captain’s Tankard Cameron Davey Havant RFC
FMT Bunney Trophy – Senior Men’s Bill Beaumont Player of the Year Karter Whittock Petersfield RFC
Senior Women’s Gill Burns Player of the Year Sophie Slimm Millbrook RFC

 

Senior Men’s Bill Beaumont County Champions

A special presentation recognised the outstanding achievements of Hampshire’s Senior Men’s representative squad, crowned Bill Beaumont Division 3 County Champions following victory at Allianz Stadium.

The success reflected a new era for representative rugby in Hampshire, with more clubs contributing players than ever before. Representatives from the following clubs were recognised on the evening:

Alton, Andover, Ellingham & Ringwood, Gosport & Fareham, Havant, Petersfield, Portsmouth, Sandown & Shanklin, Tottonians, Trojans, Ventnor and Winchester.

Thank You to Our Leavers

Hampshire RFU also recognised a number of volunteers whose commitment and dedication have helped shape rugby across the county.

Volunteer Contribution
David Dunn Manager of Representative Rugby
Josh Brown Representative Rugby Age Grade Manager
Chris Budden Adult Competitions
Alison Denmead U18 Girls Manager
Luke Wilson U18 Girls Coach
Hannah Roberts U18 Girls Coach
Renny Smith U18 Girls Coach
Paul Hillian U20 Head Coach
Andy Duncombe U20 Coach
Jack Phillips U20 Coach
Jon U20 Coach
Lynne Piddington U15/U16 Competition Organiser
Ian Wells U18 Competition Organiser

Thank you all for the time, passion and expertise you have given to rugby in Hampshire.

Hampshire RFU Awards

Award Winner Club
Special Recognition Jessica Sims, Ophelia Cleugh, Sophie Hargrave Trojans FC
Volunteer of the Year Matt Davis Hampshire Representative Rugby
Age Grade Coach of the Year Stefan Hargrave Trojans FC
Peter Ebbs Senior Coach of the Year Rudi Kochanowski Trojans RFC & Hampshire Senior Men
Fundraiser of the Year Sandown & Shanklin RFC Sandown & Shanklin RFC
Club of the Year Romsey RFC Romsey RFC
Hampshire RFU President’s Award Jed Stone United Services Portsmouth RFC

The evening was a fitting celebration of everything that makes rugby in Hampshire special. From clubs achieving success on the field to volunteers giving thousands of hours behind the scenes, every award reflected the strength of our rugby community and our shared commitment to Building a Stronger Future Together.

Congratulations to every winner, nominee and volunteer recognised throughout the evening, and thank you to every club, player, coach, referee and volunteer who continues to make rugby thrive across Hampshire.

Photo gallery from the Hampshire RFU AGM and Awards Evening below.

Hampshire RFU Conference 2026 Brings the Rugby Community Together

More than 120 volunteers from across Hampshire gathered at Totton College for the Hampshire RFU Conference 2026, bringing together coaches, Club Coaching Coordinators, Safeguarding Officers, Rugby Safety Leads and Youth Chairs for a day of learning, collaboration and sharing best practice.

This year’s conference introduced a new format, bringing together several key volunteer roles under one roof. The approach created greater opportunities for collaboration, encouraging delegates to share experiences, discuss common challenges and explore new ideas to support rugby across the county.

The day began with an engaging keynote from Nigel Redman, who shared his thoughts on succession planning and the importance of developing the next generation of volunteers and leaders within the game.

Following the keynote, delegates moved into role-specific sessions. The coaching programme, delivered by LMP and supported by Hampshire RFU’s U16 Girls Player Development Group, generated excellent discussion and practical ideas, with coaches sharing experiences.

Safeguarding Officers and Rugby Safety Leads spent the morning sharing updates, discussing current priorities and exchanging best practice to help clubs continue providing safe, enjoyable environments for everyone involved in the game.

One of the most thought-provoking sessions of the day focused on Neurodiversity, prompting valuable conversations about how Hampshire RFU can better support clubs by signposting resources, developing coaches’ understanding and creating more inclusive environments where every player has the opportunity to thrive.

Following lunch, the coaching group reconvened for a practical pre-season session led by Theo Rhodes, Hampshire RFU Senior Women’s and Trojans RFC Lead Coach. Focusing on retention, connection and preparation, the session offered coaches fresh ideas to take back to their clubs ahead of the new season. The practical demonstrations were supported by U16 and U17 boys from clubs across Hampshire, whose enthusiasm and commitment helped bring the session to life.

At the same time, Youth Chairs explored the RFU Inclusion Framework, with Hampshire RFU proud to be one of the Constituent Bodies piloting the initiative. The Club Coaching Coordinators also had a sneak peak at the new templates produced by Hampshire RFU to help them better recruit and develop their volunteers – CCC, Lead Coach, Team Manager and Coach role descriptors alongside a coaching skills matrix.

Throughout the day, delegates embraced the opportunity to network, exchange ideas and learn from colleagues working in different areas of the game. The collaborative format generated positive feedback, with attendees valuing the opportunity to share best practice, challenge thinking and leave with practical ideas to take back to their clubs.

Hampshire RFU would like to thank Totton College for hosting this year’s conference, all of the presenters and facilitators for sharing their expertise, and every volunteer who gave up their time to invest in the future of rugby across the county.

The success of the 2026 Conference demonstrated the strength of Hampshire’s volunteer network and reinforced the collective commitment to developing a safe, inclusive and thriving game for players, coaches and volunteers across Hampshire.

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