Romsey’s Colts rugby side came out on top in a thriller at the Winchester RC ground to win the 2026 Hampshire Shield. The festival crowd was royally entertained as Romsey scrum half Sam Hurst burrowed his way over from a goal line ruck to score the decisive fifth try.

The game was played in bright sunshine and on a bone hard pitch, all of which contributed to a fast, free flowing game. Josh Campbell’s determined drive opened the scoring for Romsey, with the reliable boot of Zac Bates establishing an early seven point lead. Romsey’s band of supporters were in for a nail biting seventy minutes, however, as Andover replied with some excellent close driving work themselves to equalise. This set the tone for the rest of the game, with Andover’s strong ball carriers needing to be subdued. Romsey’s misfiring lineout made it difficult for them to establish a stranglehold, but their attacking flair was always likely to provide the key difference between the sides.

Tries by backs Daniel Yorke and Jacob Wolfe were just rewards for Romsey’s attack minded approach and they looked increasingly likely to pull further ahead as they went into half time.

Andover started the second half in a determined fashion and a stretched Romsey defence was unable to prevent the score. Despite trailing for the first time in the match, Romsey stayed true to their philosophy and continued to run the ball. Just short of the hour mark fly half Rowan Sherrington sliced through the Andover midfield to re establish the lead. Another Andover attack resulted in a score that levelled the game at 24 points apiece.

With the dust swirling and the sun getting warmer by the minute, the spectators were gripped by the contest. Romsey played with great maturity in the last quarter and Sam Hurst’s late late try meant that Romsey went home to Ganger Farm with the trophy. Having scored five tries to four, and playing some attractive rugby, they were the deserved winners.
Peter Jones