Ventnor Rugby Club News Update 5 March 2026

Saturday proved to be a great day for the club despite the injury to one of the United Services Portsmouth players which meant the 2nd XV game had to be abandoned after about 25 minutes. Because it was a neck injury, Zoe correctly felt it prudent to call an ambulance but happily the player was able to be released from hospital later that evening with some nasty tendon damage but nothing more serious.

Ventnor Rugby Club 2XV 5-5 United Services Portsmouth Rugby Club 2XV – Abandoned with the score at 5-5 due to player injury

USP had arrived very early and were warming up before anyone got to the club. They had a full squad, with substitutes and coaches and looked ready to rumble. However they didn’t have a hooker which meant that the game had to be played with uncontested scrums from the get-go which didn’t suit our 2nds at all. When you have a pack featuring Gary Ball, Henrik Brown, Grant Richardson, Nathan Frampton, Ewan Castle, Iain Reeves and Deano & Charlie Magnurson (siblings according to Facebook AI !!), you really want to scrummage!

This didn’t daunt Ventnor though and they played some magical rugby with Watcombe debutants Beau Bridgeman and Adam Wade having terrific games. Ed Blake scored our try in typical fashion and the score stood at 5 – 5 when the game had to be stopped with Ventnor looking the better side at this point. The A J Wells Man of the Match was Luke Starkey while Deano took the Red Funnel Moment of the Match. The game has been rescheduled for 14th March when USP will need to arrive complete with a hooker

Raead the full match report Ventnor RFC 2XV 5-5 United Services Portsmouth RFC 2XV 28 February 2026

Ventnor RFC 2XV Team 28 February 2026

Team: I.Reeves, Brown, Richardson, Castle, N.Frampton, Starkey, D.Magnurson (capt), C.Magnurson, Harris, Bridgeman, Wade, E.Blake, H.Ottley, Jacobson, W.Riches. Subs: Ball, Tombleson, J.Blake, Wood, Muir, Fox and Francis

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The A J Wells Man of the Man – Harvey Wheeler
The Red Funnel Moment of the Match – Dean Magnurson
The Howden Insurance Supporter of the Day: Anton Lavers

Coaches: Damien Marriott, Clive Cardwell-Hill, Todd Riches and Andy Teague
Physio: Zoe Jones

Meanwhile the 1sts beat a very talented and well-drilled Alton side thanks to the very last move of the game.

Josh Ford scored two tries in the first half and kicked a conversion. With the score at 12 – 20 and time running out, Alec Bulpitt scored a try and then Jack Rushton scored with a five metre dash from the back of a lineout maul to clinch the game and the final whistle blew as Josh’s second conversion sailed between the posts.

This was Jacko’s sixth try of the season which has resulted in his front row union card has being ripped up!

The final score was 24 – 20 which meant another five points in the bag.

Match report Ventnor RFC 1XV 24-20 Alton RFC 28 February 2026

Jacko duly took the A J Wells Man of the Match award whilst Alec was the recipient of the Red Funnel Moment of the Match.

Head coach Damien Marriott had this to say after the match:

“It was a really tough game and credit to Alton for taking their chances when they got into our twenty-two. From our side there were plenty of positives.

The lads worked incredibly hard defensively and physically we matched them across the park.

Our set piece in particular was strong, with the scrum providing a really solid platform. We created lots of opportunities and spent plenty of time in the right areas of the field, but the difference on the day was being clinical when those chances came.

That’s something we’ll keep working on to improve”.

Damien Marriott, Head Coach

Read the full match report Ventnor Rugby Club 1XV 24-20 Alton Rugby Club Saturday 28 February 2026

Many thanks to Dan Lythgoe for sorting the post-match food for 80 hungry players! And – as ever – to Bradders, Molly and Roly for their work behind the bar. Plus a special mention to Foxie for sorting out the changing rooms, referee’s room and toilets in the football club that had been left in a shocking state.

Ventnor Rugby Club 1XV Team, 28 February 2026:

Team:

Rushton, Jones, D.Lythgoe, L.Morton (capt), Coltham, Hayman, Jordan, H.Wheeler, Ford, Butler, Bulpitt, Branagh, M.Wheeler, Lucy, Souter. Subs: Bexon-Stone, Broomfield and Gilbey

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The A J Wells Man of the Man – Jack Rushton
The Red Funnel Moment of the Match – Alec Bulpitt
The Howden Insurance Supporter of the Day: Anton Lavers

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

Match report: James Morton

Ventnor RFC 1XV Extend their lead in the Counties 3 Hampshire League 2025-26 Table

Meanwhile Portsmouth RFC 2nds did us a favour by beating Tottonians RFC 2XV. so it’s now Isle of Wight RFC who lie in the league with 36 points to our 45 – but we still have a game in hand.

The table shows how good we’ve been defensively this season having conceded only 145 points in our 12 games.

Ventnor 1st XV remain at top of Counties 3 Hampshire league 2025-26 league table with an extended lead to 9 points after twelve games as at 28-02-2026

Ventnor RFC 1XV – played 12, won 8, drawn 1, lost 3, points 45

Isle of Wight RFC 2XV – played 13, won 6, drawn 0, lost 7. points 36

Portsmouth RFC 2XV – played 13, won 8, drawn 0, lost 5, points 35

The next in line is Overton with 197 having played two games less.

Just to illustrate this point, Lewy alone made 23 successful tackles on Saturday and he wasn’t alone . . .

The win means Ventnor RFC 1XV extend their lead in the Counties 3 Hampshire League 2025-26 Table to 9 points, with Ventnor 1XV remaining top of the Counties 3 Hampshire league 2025-26 league table:

However, Ventnor 1XV have a game in hand over Isle of Wight RFC who are 2nd in the Counties 3 Hampshire league 2025-26 league table, as well as Portsmouth RFC 2XV (who have moved up to 3rd).

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

Ventnor RFC 1XV have just 4 league remaining fixtures for the Counties 3 Hampshire 2025-26 season, after yesterday’s home fixture to Alton RFC

March 2026
Saturday 07 Mar 2026 Counties 3 Hampshire Ventnor RFC 1XV v Overton RFC

Saturday 21 Mar 2026 Counties 3 Hampshire Ventnor RFC v Portsmouth RFC 2XV

Saturday 28 Mar 2026 Counties 3 Hampshire Ventnor RFC 1XV v Isle Of Wight RFC – Vice Presidents’ Lunch

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

Match Sponsors Saturday 28 February 2026

And finally on the subject of Saturday, a big thank you to our match sponsors namely:

CP Bathrooms, Cridmore Farm, Dan Noyes Sports Massage Therapy, Dorothy Muncaster, Electrical Solution IOW Ltd, Flowers for You, Gamson Gray Design and Media, Groundsell Contracting Ltd, Hose, Rhodes and Dickson, Howdens of Sandown, Inspiration Fabrication and Island Crane Hire.

Ventnor RFC 1st XV v Overton RFC 2025-26 Counties 3 Hampshire fixture – Sat 7 March 2026

This Saturday (7^th Feb 2026) Ventnor 1XV host Overton in Counties Three Hampshire league.

Ventnor RFC 1st XV v Overton RFC 2025-26 fixture

Best Regards

James

JAMES MORTON
Chairman Ventnor RFC
T: 07901 938 317

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