Welcome to The Lions Den
The South Coast's Most Dominant Team
The Bournemouth Lions are now 34 games on the trot without losing and haven’t lost away since September in 2024. The south coast has plenty of rugby talent with clubs like Havant, Winchester and Wimborne having a rich history of dominating the club rugby scene.
Dominance in sport is earned, the Chicago Bulls, the New England Patriots and the All Blacks were products of incredible talent paired with organisations that knew how to win.
As simple as knowing how to win, it is is reductive to these teams, they all faced high levels of adversity and formed some of the most iconic sports rivalries we have ever witnessed. In 2026, club rugby has been commercialized and funded by sponsors who noticed the growth in semi-pro and club rugby.
These sponsors are more of a commercial necessity than an added bonus.
Club and professional rugby have had major financial issues over the last decade or so.
All rugby fans were made desperately aware of how pressing the financial issues were when three premiership clubs collapsed within a year.
Worcester, London Irish and Wasps all fell through despite those clubs having an extensive and successful history.
After this low point in British rugby, some disgruntled fans are losing faith in the RFU to make productive changes to the whole rugby pyramid. So how can a team like Bournemouth shine in a seemingly treacherous industry?
The Bournemouth Lions are the first-string team at Bournemouth and currently play in the Regional 2 London & SE division where they face clubs like Twickenham, Winchester and Old Tiffinians.
Flagship players are so important for local teams, Bournemouth’s own Grant Hancox has returned from injury and integrated back into the first team squad well, slotting the winning penalty in their last fixture against Old Tiffinians.
Hancox says: “Staying calm in those moments. Coming on and kicking for the boys, they are the ones grafting throughout the week and 80 minutes on Saturday and it’s a real privilege to hit those points over in the game.”
“Not putting too much pressure on yourself, it is really important throughout this season and the last to build in a delay into what we are doing and where we are looking.”
“It’s a bit cliché but we are really keen on working towards that next game, not getting carried away and to manage that expectation.”
“I think the only stress or pressure there has been the expectation. We are a club that has been really successful over the years and to find ourselves in the position we are in now, there is an expectation locally from the community, our sponsors and the coaching staff that we work our way back up the rugby pyramid.”
“I think year on year we are the flagship club of Dorset rugby. We have been the team performing at the highest standard. There are a few local teams in our league such as Wimborne and Ellingham & Ringwood but we are sat at the top of the pole for a reason. We want that standard locally and we want players to push their development at Bournemouth rugby.”
Bournemouth pack in a scrum
Bournemouth pack in a scrum
Bournemouth has attracted many corporate partnerships because of the gravity they have in the local rugby scene.
Offering partnering brands exposure, media appearances and brand awareness all benefits the club in the long run with the money being directly funnelled back into the club’s infrastructure.
Will Croker, the director of rugby and head coach of the first team says: “Bournemouth Rugby has a vision and a far more sustainable financial footing than previously. So, success for us this year is creating the environment where we don’t want to lose and putting the foundations in place to be able to push on over the next few years.”
Their influence has spread across the nation, sharing media contacts with the BBC, Bournemouth Echo and of course Buzz News making crucial steps in advertising the club.
Pride in their identity is a core foundation of the club, unapologetically performing at an extremely high level against some of the toughest clubs in the third step of the British rugby ladder.
Owners Drew Mellor and Matthew barker say: “Our vision has been to build a bright future that the entire town can take pride in, and we’re making significant strides toward achieving that goal. Bournemouth Rugby is now on a positive trajectory, with strong foundations in place for both rugby development and long-term commercial sustainability.”
The culture that Bournemouth have created is a testament to the club’s effort and spirit, representing the core rugby values and the impact they can have on their local community is at the forefront of their identity.
A fair warning to clubs looking to take down the titans of the Regional 2 London & SE Division, step into the Lion's Den and be prepared to take on the most dominant team in south coast rugby.
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