As you will all be aware the RFU has today announced the final position of teams in the league structure down from the Championship to Hampshire 1. For Alton RFC, this means that there is some excellent news - Alton Silverbacks have been promoted to London South West 3 (SW3)!

The RFU has decided that, as the season was over 75% complete, it was only correct that the leagues should conclude with promotion and relegation. The Competition Committee decided that the league positions should stand using a formula that confirms Alton Silverbacks are promoted as the runners up in the Hampshire Premiership for the 2019/20 Season.

This is a great achievement and represents our third promotion in three seasons. What a far cry from the 2014/15 Season when we were relegated to our lowest ever position in the leagues, Hampshire 2! In the 2017/18 Season, a senior player meeting was held to look at what Alton RFC players wanted to achieve. Their ambition was to play fun, effective rugby and get promoted back to the London leagues (at that point three promotions away) by the 2021/22 Season. A very stiff target when our position was mid table in Hampshire 2.
Through hard work, determination, and the great talent that is produced from our Age Grade section, Alton RFC consolidated and gained promotion to Hampshire 1. This was won with panache the following season leading to promotion to the new Hampshire Premier league. A much bigger challenge, but the Silverbacks met it head on and continued an unbeaten league run that ran to a total of 420 days, smashing their pre-season goals of finishing in the top third of the league and winning more games than were lost.

When the 2019/20 Season was terminated early by the Covid-19 breakout, Alton Silverbacks were firmly in the second spot and the team had achieved a rise of 30 places in the leagues in less than 3 years. They had amassed 78% of the total points available up to that point of the season. London SW3 is fed from both Hampshire and Surrey leagues with the top teams getting automatic promotion and the second teams playing off. Under the RFU formula, it was deemed that Alton Silverbacks’ superior win ratio promoted them to London SW3. The team has achieved this two seasons ahead of their audacious schedule!!

All our sincerest thanks go to the players who give their all week in week out; our dedicated and amazing Coaching Coordinator, Steve Jenkins; the Senior Coaching Team (James Youell, Cameron Wicks, Tony Hopkin and Andy Tart); Jamie Legg the Team Manager; the Clubhouse Team who feed and water us; the supporters that follow us home and away. Most of all our thanks go to all the coaches and parents at the Age Grade levels who have helped our now senior players rise up through the ranks to represent Alton Silverbacks. 80% of the team have played Age Grade rugby at Alton RFC.

Onward and upwards to London South West 3!