Match report Ventnor RFC 1XV 30-17 Isle of Wight RFC 28 March 2026

Match report Ventnor Rugby Club 1XV 30-17 Isle of Wight Rugby Club 28 March 2026

Counties 3 Hampshire

Ventnor RFC 1XV gained revenge for their loss at Wootton before Christmas with an extremely hard-fought victory against an Isle of Wight RFC team who showed massive commitment throughout. Having already secured promotion, Ventnor could have been forgiven if their intensity had fallen away a few percent, but both teams started the game at frenetic pace.

Once again Ventnor’s aggressive defence – with Max Wheeler, Lewy Morton and Cody Hayman to the fore – led to errors from the opposition and it was one such that allowed Will Broomfield to pick up on the halfway line and put his first dent in the defensive wall.

The ball was recycled and Jewy Jones pirouetted up the pitch in typical fashion. Josh Ford fed Luke Butler who found space for Tom Branagh to run into.

Although checked, the explosive centre was able to scramble over the line for Ventnor’s first try. 5 – 0. Ventnor had the edge in the scrums with Dan Lythgoe, Jones and Jack Rushton working hard in the front row and it blunted the visitor’s front foot ball and a hurried pass went to ground allowing Branagh to kick ahead, gather and touch down under the posts for his second try which Ford converted. 12 – 0.

Then Tom Crews was taken out late and Ford kicked down the line. Joe Coghlan took the ball at the back of the lineout and a brief maul was formed from which Ford jinked for the line. The ball was recycled and Lythgoe powered over for Ventnor’s third try. 17 – 0.

The Isle of Wight then showed great spirit and put themselves on the scoreboard with two quick tries – the second a beauty from the impressive George Huish – and suddenly it was 17 – 10 and there seemed to be a very obvious change of momentum. However Morton had other ideas and caught the catcher at the kick off so that Harvey Wheeler could win the penalty which Ford kicked to stem the tide at 20 – 10.

Then, from a dominant scrum, Harvey Wheeler fed Ford who put Branagh into space along the right touchline only to be stopped by a reckless head-on-head tackle which resulted in the Isle of Wight player being yellow carded as the medics took him off the field of play. On another day it could easily have been a red plus a penalty try to Ventnor. But at half-time, the score remained at 20 – 10.

The second half started with the visitors using the boot to good effect only for Alec Bulpitt, Ed Blake and Crews to run it back at them with interest and the game became scrappy as both teams looked for territory.

However, it was the visitors who struck first with a pick-and-go after a lineout for a converted try which brought the score to 20 – 17. Ventnor went straight back on the attack and another powerful run by Broomfield was stopped by a high tackle resulting in a yellow card.

By this time Harry Bexon-Stone, Tom Scadden and Ben Souter were on for Ventnor and their energy gave the team a lift as Harvey Wheeler and Broomfield made progress before yet another high tackle led to a further yellow card (the Isle of Wight’s third of the match) and a penalty in front of the posts.

Morton elected for the set scrum. Broomfield crashed over but the referee had already called a penalty against the visitors. Ford took a quick tap, Lythgoe made progress and Ford fed Harvey Wheeler who dived over for a try that his all-round game deserved. However his exuberant celebration didn’t sit well with the referee and he was promptly given a yellow card!

The Isle of Wight attacked from the penalty kick off but found the stifling defence of Ventnor’s pack too much and a desperate looped pass was picked off by Bulpitt on his own twenty-two from where he galloped into score

After the game, head coach Damien Marriott had this to say.

“We came out flying and built a 17–0 lead playing exactly how we want to — high tempo, moving the ball, and putting them under pressure. That’s Ventnor at its best.

Credit to Wootton [Isle of Wight RFC], they fought their way back into it which tested us.

That’s the big growth for me today — earlier in the season maybe we would have panicked there, but the boys stayed composed, stuck to the plan, and then pulled away again.

To finish strongly and take control of the game again says a lot about this group. Really proud of the lads — another step forward”.

Damien Marriott, Coaching Consultant

Image: James Morton

Ventnor RFC 1XV Team, 28 March 2026

Ventnor RFC 1XV Team:  D.Lythgoe, Jones, Rushton, L.Morton (capt), Hayman, Broomfield, Coghlan, H.Wheeler, Ford, Butler, E.Blake, Branagh, M.Wheeler, Bulpitt, Crews. Subs: Bexon-Stone, Scadden and Souter

The A J Wells Man of the Man – Will Broomfield
The Red Funnel Moment of the Match – Harvey Wheeler
The Howden Insurance Supporter of the Day: Olly Fulljames and Dominic Marsh

Coaches: Damien Marriott, Clive Cardwell-Hill, Todd Riches and Andy Teague
Physio: Sarah Watt

Match Report by James Morton

Ventnor Rugby Club Player Membership

Ventnor Rugby Club Player Membership is just £16 per month, with a range of benefits including exclusive use for players of the Ventnor Rugby Club Gym at Watcombe Bottom – sign-up to become a Ventnor Rugby Club Player

image courtesy: Ⓒ 2026: Andrew Cooper Sport Photography | Moral Rights Asserted | All Rights Reserved

Image: James Morton

Ventnor RFC Match Sponsors 28 March 2026

Ventnor RFC would like to thank their match sponsors for the day, namely:

Jennifer Hinton & Terry O’Bryan, Warren Fresle, Traditional Brick and Stone, TF Property Solutions, Steve Champion, Steve Macey, Tom Wells, Stuart Babington, A Repoint, Imogen’s Dog Grooming, TJW Carpentry and Unique Aerospace.

Ventnor’s next match is away to Aldershot & Fleet on 11th Aprill 2026. One point gained at that match will secure the Counties 3 Hampshire league 2025-26 championship.

Ventnor RFC 1XV Remaining Counties 3 Hampshire League Fixtures 2025-26

Ventnor RFC 1XV have just one league remaining fixtures for the Counties 3 Hampshire 2025-26 season:

April 2026
Saturday 11 Apr 2026 Counties 3 Hampshire Aldershot & Fleet RFC v Ventnor RFC

plus their Hampshire Counties 3 and Below Plate 2025-26 Quarter Final fixture:

May 2026

Saturday 2 May 2026 Hampshire Counties 3 and Below Plate 2025-26 Quarter Final

Old Glynonians RFC v Ventnor RFC Community South Cup Plate 2025-26 Quarter Finals

Best Regards

James

JAMES MORTON
Chairman Ventnor RFC
T: 07901 938 317