HEAD coach David Dunn saluted a superb effort on all fronts after New Milton's first, second and third teams earned promotion in the same season.

Dunn's first team stormed to a 41-17 play-off victory over Surrey One outfit Old Whitgiftian on Saturday, ensuring London Three South West rugby next term.

Meanwhile, on an adjacent pitch, Milton III edged out Blandford 25-24, in the process snatching the Dorset & Wilts Three South title away from their opponents.

Milton's second string had already wrapped up the Dorset & Wilts Two South crown and they rounded off their campaign with a pulsating 48-43 triumph at Salisbury III.

Reflecting on the triple success, Dunn told the Daily Echo: "It's unrivalled, certainly in my experience. I've never known three teams within one club get promoted in one season.

"Against the backdrop of other clubs not being able to field teams and cancelling games, not only are we fielding three teams, they have all earned promotion.

"It's massive. A lot of it is down to the way it's been organised. We didn't have a first-team manager or a second-team manager this year but Lee Thomas and Dalton Thomas managed the forwards and the backs, respectively.

"That meant players played wherever they were asked to – be it in the firsts, seconds or thirds – and it was one big squad. It worked absolutely brilliantly.

"We also had a strength and conditioning coach who ensured we were fitter than anyone else."

Dunn added: "The first team were bitterly disappointed not to secure automatic promotion at Petersfield and we spent two weeks working hard to make sure we won the play-off.

"Saturday's performance was absolutely stunning. We didn't give Old Whitgiftian a sniff, right from the word go.

"It was all there. The defence was absolutely immense and the pack did not allow them a look in."

Milton took a 24-0 lead into the break having adopted a relentless approach from the off. Lee Thomas was first to cross the whitewash, quickly followed by Lewis Waugh, with Adam Lavis adding the extras.

A neat backs move allowed Ramon Mallette to touch down in the corner before Ben Russell got try number four, which Lavis converted.

Russell got his second score after the restart and Lavis kicked the goal, with man-of-the-match Nathan Smith setting up Dalton Thomas to continue the one-sided contest.

Whitgiftian managed a few consolation tries in the closing stages but Russell's hat-trick score in amongst that made it a satisfying day's work for the home side.

Dunn added: "To bounce straight back up was really important and we need to build on it now.

"We must establish ourselves and strengthen the squad so we can be the biggest club in the New Forest and offer a good standard of rugby to local lads."

Milton squad: Hynd, Bew, Wright, Duckworth, Daly, Thomas, Russell, Waugh, J O'Regan, Lavis, Oliver, N Smith, Mallette, Conacher, Thomas, Morrell, S O'Regan, McQueen, Z Smith.