Foundations for Havant RFC’s title success laid in the aftermath of ‘incredibly tough’ relegation eight years ago

The highest-ranked club in Hampshire are celebrating a return to the London & South & East Premier after the RFU decided to honour promotion and relegation in the grassroots game - unlike the FA in some areas of non-league football.

There were just four games left in the 2019/20 season when the Covid-19 pandemic forced sport to stop almost everywhere in the world.

Havant were by no means guaranteed to finish top - they were only two points ahead of Westcombe Park and still had to welcome the Kent club to fortress Hooks Lane.

But Havant’s eight-year stint at London 1 South level was duly confirmed as over when the RFU worked out revised league tables.

For Will Knight, the journey which has ended with title glory started in the aftermath of a disastrous 2011/12 campaign.

In what was Knight’s debut season as head coach, Havant finished bottom of London South East Premier. They won just two out of 26 games, losing 23. They scored just 328 points and conceded a staggering 1,422 - an average of almost 55 points per match.

Havant ended the season losing their last two away games 99-7 at Bishop’s Stortford and 11-7 at Tring, either side of a 67-17 home loss to Tonbridge Juddians.

Prior to that, the campaign had included 90-15 and 81-15 losses to Canterbury, an 89-5 drubbing at Juddians, a 75-5 hammering at CS Stags 1863 and 66-0 and 70-13 beatings by Ampthill.

But out of those dark days grew the green shoots of recovery.

The director of rugby had left, the head coach had left, lots of players had left,’ Knight recalled.

‘It was an incredibly tough season and we were absolutely hammered on occasions.

‘I had been coaching the colts for six years prior to taking over the first team, and some of the players in that first season were the colts who had to step up.

‘We had 3rd XV players, 2nd XV players, and only a couple of 1st XV players who had stayed.

‘At the end of the season we said to the players did they want a long rest to get over what had been a very hard season. But 100 per cent of them said ‘no, we’ll see you in two weeks time.

‘There was already a clarity and sense of purpose to get things right, and so the foundations for this season were laid back then really.

‘There are a core of players who have stuck with it all the way through, and we have built and built - others have joined us on the journey along the way.’

One of the outstanding stats behind Havant’s title success is the club won all 11 of their Hooks Lane matches.

That continues a superb home record - since the start of 2016/17, they have won 46 out of 50 league games, losing just three and drawing one.

But when asked to name Havant’s best win in 2019/20, Knight has no hesitation in choosing one that came on the road - the 38-24 win at Westcombe in early December

‘Winning there was a seminal moment - they were top and we were second or third,’ he remembered.

‘We’ve won all our home games this season, which is a source of great pride, but in terms of the season it was the win at Westcombe that best showed the mark of this side.

‘The determination of the players that day shone through.’

Havant had finished third in 2016/17 and 2017/18, while last season they finished sixth. A mitigating factor was having to play their first eight games away due to a new artificial surface being laid at Hooks Lane - and of those eight games, Havant lost seven of them.

‘Once we were able to play at home we won most of our games,’ said Knight. ‘I thought we were close to being good enough last season.

‘In this league you need quality in every position, and you need replacement quality as well. At the moment we’ve got the strongest squad we’ve had in eight years.’

New players for this season included Joe Moore and ex-Gosport trio Sean Shepherd, Wes Dugan and Rory Penfold.

Another newcomer was front row forward Andrea Pozzi, who has played professionally in his native Italy and has been ‘a massive asset’.

He was introduced to the club by Havant coach Ivan Torpey, and has been helping out with coaching as well as he works towards his Level 3 badge.

‘The aim is to strengthen again for next season,’ Knight continued. ‘We will be a more attractive proposition now for players who might be travelling a bit further afield to play.

‘But I don’t think the squad we have won’t be able to compete. Certainly the rugby we have played this season suggests we should be able to do that.

‘The work ethic has been phenomenal. The players have to take the most credit for the way they have developed as a group.

‘Ultimately, rugby is all about the players - it’s the 18 players in the squad that go to war on a Saturday afternoon.

‘Everyone at the club is proud of our players this season.’

Once upon a time, Havant were among the country’s top clubs. In 1991/92 they won the National 4 South title and promotion to third tier of English rugby

The following season, they finished in a three-way tie at the top - missing out on a place amongst the top 20 clubs in England on points difference to Otley.

In third place were Exeter, now one of the top clubs in the country.

‘We don’t pay anybody across the entire rugby side of the club,’ Knight continued. ‘That probably makes us unique at our level and probably at some levels below us as well.

‘So it’s been a real labour of love, from the players and the coaches, to rebuild not only the team but also the club.

‘The club had lost its way a little bit and I wanted to try and get it back to what it was like when I was playing. It’s always been a community club and it always will be.

‘We pride ourselves on being the most ‘professional’ amateur club we can possibly be.’

An example of that can be found in the fact Des Byrne scouted all of Havant’s London 1 South opponents this season.

‘It’s the first time we’ve done that for a long time,’ Knight explained. ‘I doubt if any other club at our level does it as systematically as we do it.

‘We talked last summer of trying to find those extra one per cents, and our attention to detail is second to none at this level.

‘As coaches we want to try and make sure all the pieces of the jigsaw are covered, so that the players have no excuses on a Saturday afternoon.

‘We want to give them the best possible chance we can to win games.’