Counties 4 Hampshire Explained

Counties 4 Hampshire
Current Season:	2024-25 Counties 4 Hampshire
Teams:	14
Most Champs:	Aldershot & Fleet, Kingsclere, Overton, Ventnor
Count:	2
Website:	englandrugby.com

Counties 4 Hampshire (formerly Hampshire 2) is an English level 10 rugby union league for teams based in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. It was originally known as Hampshire 3 until the 2008–09 season when it was discontinued, but the division was reinstated as Hampshire 2 following restructuring of the Hampshire leagues for the 2018–19 season, which would once again see Hampshire rugby have three divisions as well as including second XV sides for the first time. Following the RFU's Adult Competition Review, from season 2022-23 it adopted its current name Counties 4 Hampshire.

Promoted teams move up to Counties 3 Hampshire. Relegated teams drop down to the Hampshire RFU merit leagues.

Competition points will be awarded as follows: For a win: five points; For a draw: three points; others i.e. match abandoned = two points. For a loss: one point; For losing by less than 15 points; one point. Four try bonus: one point.^[1]

Season 2024-25

Ahead of the new season the experiment with parallel A and B divisions was abandoned and the league reinstated as a single competition. This season was the first when Counties 4 Hampshire was recognised and administered as a RFU league, rather than as part of the Hampshire RFU merit leagues.

Departing were Southampton, promoted to Counties 3 Hampshire.

Joining were Alresford, relegated from Counties 3 Hampshire, together with Alton who last competed in Counties 1 Hampshire in 2022-23 finishing 11th.

Team	Ground	Capacity	City/Area	Previous season
Alresford	Alresford Recreation Centre			Relegated from Counties 3 Hampshire
Alton	Antsey Park			Re-entry
Bognor II	Hampshire Avenue			1st 4B
Chineham	Fortress Chineham			7th 4A
Fawley	Gang Warily Recreation Centre			3rd 4A
	Gosport Park			2nd 4A
Hook & Odiham	Papermill Avenue			5th 4A
Lymington Mariners	Woodside Park			6th 4A
Southsea Nomads				4th 4A
	North Walls Park			2nd 4B

Season 2023-24

Departing were Christchurch and Aldershot & Fleet, promoted to Counties 3 Hampshire.

Ahead of the new season the decision was taken to split the league into parallel A and B divisions.

Counties 4A

Team	Ground	Capacity	City/Area	Previous season
Andover III	Foxcotte Lane			Promoted from Counties 5 Hampshire North (champions)
Chineham	Fortress Chineham			7th
Fawley	Gang Warily Recreation Centre			Re-entry
	Gosport Park
Hook & Odiham	Papermill Avenue			4th
Lymington Mariners	Woodside Park			Promoted Counties 5 Hampshire South West (champions)
Southsea Nomads				3rd
	Stoneham Lane			Promoted Counties 5 Hampshire South East (champions)

Counties 4B

Team	Ground	Capacity	City/Area	Previous season
	Down Grange			Promoted Counties 5 Hampshire North (4th)
Bognor II	Hampshire Avenue			Re-entry
	Oaklands Park			Promoted Counties 5 Hampshire South East (runners-up)
Farnborough	Tilebarn Close			Promoted Counties 5 Hampshire North (runners-up)
Locksheath Pumas II				Promoted Counties 5 Hampshire South East (3rd)
Millbrook II	5 Acres			Promoted Counties 5 Hampshire South West (3rd)
Sandown & Shanklin II	The Fairway Ground			6th
Tottonians Badgers	Water Lane			8th
	North Walls Park			Promoted Counties 5 Hampshire South West (runners-up)

Season 2022-23

This was the first season following the RFU Adult Competition Review^[2] with the league adopting its new name of Counties 4 Hampshire.

Departing were Havant III, Andover II and Winchester II, all promoted to Counties 3 Hampshire. Petersfield II (5th) dropped into Counties 5 Hampshire South East.

Joining were Christchurch and Hook & Odiham.

Bognor II (6th in 2021-22) started but did not complete the season withdrawing part way through.

Team	Ground	Capacity	City/Area	Previous season
Aldershot & Fleet	Aldershot Park			8th
Chineham	Fortress Chineham			7th
Christchurch	East Sports and Social Club
Hook & Odiham	Papermill Avenue
Sandown & Shanklin II	The Fairway Ground			10th
Southsea Nomads				9th
Southampton	Test Park Playing Fields			4th
Tottonians Badgers	Water Lane			11th

Season 2021-22

The teams competing in 2021–22 achieved their places in the league based on performances in 2019–20, the 'previous season' column in the table below refers to that season not 2020–21.

Stoneham started but did not complete the season withdrawing part way through.

Team	Ground	Capacity	City/Area	Previous season
Aldershot & Fleet	Aldershot Park			Promoted from Hampshire 3 (runners-up)
Andover II	Foxcotte Lane			5th
Bognor II	Hampshire Avenue			9th
Chineham	Fortress Chineham			8th
	Hook's Lane	1,500		1st
	Penn's Place			3rd
Sandown & Shanklin II	The Fairway Ground
Southsea Nomads				4th
Southampton	Test Park Playing Fields			Relegated from Hampshire 1 (12th)
Tottonians Badgers	Water Lane			7th
	North Walls Park			2nd

Season 2020–21

On 30 October the RFU announced ^[3] that a decision had been taken to cancel Adult Competitive Leagues (National League 1 and below) for the 2020/21 season meaning Hampshire 2 was not contested.

Season 2019-20

For the 2019–20 season, the league is being run as a 'Pro14' system, split into two pools. Teams will play six home and six away games against the other teams in their pool, and another seven games against the teams in the other pool, giving clubs 19 games in the season.^[4]

Team	Ground	Capacity	City/Area	Previous season
Andover II	Foxcotte Lane			Relegated from Hampshire 1 (12th)
	Down Grange	2,500 (250 seats)		10th
Bognor II				Sussex 2 Reserves
Chineham	Fortress Chineham			4th
Hook & Odiham				Promoted from Hampshire 3 (2nd)
	Hook's Lane	1,500		Hampshire 2 (champions)
Isle Of Wight 2nd XV	Footways			Promoted from Hampshire 3 (champions)
New Milton II	Ashley Recreation Ground			Transferred from Dorset & Wilts 2 South (8th)
Overton II	The Old Cricket Ground			9th
	Penn's Place			7th
Southsea Nomads				3rd
Stoneham				5th
Tottonians Badgers	Water Lane			8th
	North Walls Park			Relegated from Hampshire 1 (No position as did not fulfil all fixtures)

Season 2018-19

Team	Ground	Capacity	City/Area	Previous season
Aldershot & Fleet	Aldershot Park			Relegated from Hampshire 2 (7th)
	Down Grange	2,500 (250 seats)		N/A
Chineham	Fortress Chineham			Relegated from Hampshire 2 (9th)
Fareham Heathens II	Cams Alders Recreation Centre			N/A
Fawley	Gang Warily Recreation Centre			Relegated from Hampshire 2 (5th)
	Hook's Lane	1,500		N/A
Overton II	The Old Cricket Ground			N/A
	Penn's Place			N/A
Southsea Nomads				Relegated from Hampshire 2 (8th)
Stoneham				N/A
Tottonians Vets	Water Lane			N/A
	North Walls Park			N/A

Original teams

When this division was introduced in 1994 (as Hampshire 3) it contained the following teams:

• Alresford - relegated from Hampshire 2 (8th)
• Basingstoke Wombats - relegated from Hampshire 2 (12th)
• Ellingham & Ringwood - relegated from Hampshire 2 (11th)
• Fleet - relegated from Hampshire 2 (9th)
• Nomads - relegated from Hampshire 2 (10th)
• Waterlooville - relegated from Hampshire 2 (7th)

Hampshire 2 honours

Hampshire 3 (1994–1996)

Originally known as Hampshire 3, it was a tier 11 league. Promotion was to Hampshire 2 and as it was the lowest league tier in the region there was no relegation.

<											----> Hampshire 3
Season	No of Teams	Champions	Runners–up	Relegated Teams
1994–95	6	Fleet		No relegation
1995–96	7	Overton		No relegation
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Hampshire 3 (1996–2000)

The cancellation of National 5 South at the end of the 1995–96 season meant that Hampshire 3 went from being a tier 11 to a tier 10 league. Promotion continued to Hampshire 2 and there was no relegation.

<											----> Hampshire 3
Season	No of Teams	Champions	Runners–up	Relegated Teams
1996–97	7	Team Solent		No relegation
1997–98	8	Hampshire Constabulary		No relegation
1998–99^[5]	9	Stoneham		No relegation
1999–00^[6]	7	Fordingbridge		No relegation
2000–01^[7]	8	Aldershot & Fleet		No relegation
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Hampshire 3 (2000–2009)

The introduction of London 4 South West ahead of the 2000–01 season meant Hampshire 3 dropped to become a tier 11 league. Promotion continued to Hampshire 2 and there was no relegation. The division was cancelled at the end of the 2008–09 season, with the majority of teams transferring up into Hampshire 2.

<											----> Hampshire 3
Season	No of Teams	Champions	Runners–up	Relegated Teams
2001–02^[8]	7	Ellingham & Ringwood		No relegation
2002–03^[9]	6	Kingsclere		No relegation
2003–04^[10]	6	Ventnor		No relegation
2004–05^[11]	6	Kingsclere		No relegation
2005–06^[12]	6	East Dorset		No relegation
2006–07^[13]	7	Lytchett Minster		No relegation
2007–08^[14]	7	Overton		No relegation
2008–09^[15]	7	Ventnor		No relegation
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Hampshire 2 (2018–present)

After an absence of nine years the division returned ahead of the 2018–19 season, this time with the name of Hampshire 2 due to Hampshire league restructuring. It remained a tier 11 league with promotion to Hampshire 1 (formerly Hampshire 2) and relegation to the newly introduced Hampshire 3.

<											----> Hampshire 2
Season	No of Teams	Champions	Runners–up	Relegated Teams
2018–19^[16]	12	Havant III
2019–20	12
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Number of league titles

• Aldershot & Fleet (2)
• Kingsclere (2)
• Overton (2)
• Ventnor (2)
• East Dorset (1)
• Ellingham & Ringwood (1)
• Fordingbridge (1)
• Hampshire Constabulary (1)
• Havant III (1)
• Lytchett Minster (1)
• Overton (1)
• Stoneham (1)
• Team Solent (1)

See also

• Hampshire RFU
• English rugby union system
• Rugby union in England

Notes and References

1. Web site: Adult Competitions - Hampshire Domestic Leagues . 2021-09-29 . Hampshire RFU .
2. Web site: RFU announce new men's community structure . RFU . 2022-06-13.
3. Web site: RFU Cancels Adult Competitive Leagues for the 2020/21 Season . RFU . 2020-10-20 . 2020-11-09.
4. Web site: Hampshire 2 Fictures. Hampshire RFU. 10 July 2019.
5. Web site: 1998–1999 London South-East Division. England Ruigby. 1 February 2015.
6. Web site: 1999–2000 London South-East Division. England Ruigby. 1 February 2015.
7. Web site: 2000–2001 London South-East Division. England Ruigby. 1 February 2015.
8. Web site: 2001–2002 London South-East Division. England Ruigby. 1 February 2015.
9. Web site: 2002–2003 London South-East Division. England Ruigby. 1 February 2015.
10. Web site: 2003–2004 London South-East Division. England Ruigby. 1 February 2015.
11. Web site: 2004–2005 London South-East Division. England Ruigby. 1 February 2015.
12. Web site: 2005–2006 London South-East Division. England Ruigby. 1 February 2015.
13. Web site: 2006–2007 London South-East Division. England Ruigby. 1 February 2015.
14. Web site: 2007–2008 London South-East Division. England Ruigby. 1 February 2015.
15. Web site: 2008–2009 London South-East Division. England Ruigby. 1 February 2015.
16. Web site: 2018–2019 London & South-East Division. England Rugby. RFU . 13 April 2019.