On Saturday afternoon Chichester travelled to Newbury for a crucial relegation match in Regional 2 South Central. With Andover already relegated, the final day of the season would decide who, out of Chichester, Newbury, Guildford and North Dorset, would join them in Level 7 next season. To avoid relegation Blues required either a victory, Guildford to lose, or a draw with Newbury and North Dorset to lose against Petersfield.

Blues made 4 changes to the team that secured a losing bonus point against high flying Winchester a fortnight earlier, with George Knight coming into the forwards, Jo Amin joining the backs and Josh Carden and Dan Heriot on the bench.

On a sunny spring afternoon, in front a large crowd of partisan supporters it was Chichester who kicked off into a gusting wind, with destiny in their own hands. Blues were straight out of the blocks and pressurising the hosts in the red zone. On 6 minutes, and after 4 penalties on the 5 metre line, the referee produced his yellow card and reduced Newbury to 14 players. Chichester maintained the tempo but were unable to profit from the numerical advantage. After 18 minutes, Newbury finally carried the ball into the Blues’ half and were awarded a penalty just over halfway. The kick missed but from the 22 metre drop out Chichester were penalised and this time the host’s fly half slotted the ball between the posts. 3 - 0. Newbury’s confidence was boosted and it was Blues who were now defending. On 23 minutes, another penalty was conceded on the 10 metre line. 6 - 0. For the next 10 minutes play ebbed and flowed but neither team could breakdown the opposition defence. Chichester conceded another penalty on the 10 metre line which was despatched for 3 more points. 9 - 0. Blues restarted and within 2 minutes lost a player to the sin bin. 2 minutes later they conceded another penalty on the 10 metre line, lost a second player to the sin bin and went further behind with 3 minutes left in the half.

Half time and 12 - 0 after a scrappy and nervy 40 minutes from both teams. With Guildford beating Andover 15 - 0 it was up to Chichester to put in a second half performance to retain Level 6 rugby.

The half started badly with a collision between 2 of the Chichester players requiring a double substitution, but Blues held out until they back to a full complement. On 48 minutes a Newbury breakaway was stopped illegally, on the 22 metre line, allowing their fly half to slot his fifth penalty of the afternoon. 15 - 0. The scrappy stop - start play continued and, despite their best efforts, Chichester conceded 3 tries over the next 22 minutes and seemed doomed. 32 - 0. However, with Guildford and Andover now all square at 19 apiece could there be a reprieve for Chichester? Blues upped their game and pinned Newbury back in their red zone. Like the start of the first half the penalty count started to rise and the referee produced the yellow card, reducing the hosts to 14 players for the remaining 7 minutes. From the penalty Chichester worked the ball across to the centre of the pitch where Jamie Kinninmont spun a long looping pass out to Luca Fleming, stretching the Newbury defence, for a try out wide. Conversion missed. 32 - 5. In the final 5 minutes Newbury crossed the whitewash for an unconverted try and in the final minute of the game Chichester thwarted an attack on their 5 metre line and then advanced the ball into the opposition half with carries from Rhys Thompson and Ethan Etherington, before the referee blew his whistle to end the season.
Full time and 30 - 5. With Guildford eventually beating Andover, Chichester finish 11th in Regional 2 South Central and are relegated back to Level 7 after 16 years.

Man of the match was Jamie Kinninmont.

Chichester squad: Knight, Binfield, Brown, Conley (capt.), Whitehouse, Babb, Hunter, Makasi, Kinninmont, Amin, Stout, Andrews, Fleming, West, Thompson, Carden, Heriot and Etherington.