SWANAGE and Wareham captain Robert Elford has issued a defiant message to their Twin Counties Cup conquerors Bournemouth - "enjoy your success while you can."

Lions toppled the Bestwall boys 20-10 in this season's final at Dorchester on Sunday to end the Purbecker's seven-year grip on the silverware.

Bournemouth captain Dan Cawley hopes their first cup triumph since 1995 will lead to more glory in the competition.

But Elford, whose side have lifted the Dorset and Wiltshire Cup 11 times in the past 13 years, said: "We can still challenge Bournemouth.

"There is no question whatsoever about that.

"We are completely different clubs, there are always going to be a few differences in how the two clubs are run off the pitch, but on the pitch it is always going to be 15 men against 15.

"We'll always give them a good game, like we did in the cup final, which we felt we could win.

"But they are a bit better funded than us and are playing at a higher level, which we did for a couple of seasons, and that showed in their level of play.

"They have learnt a lot playing in South West One and you could see that against us. They have come on a lot since last season when we beat them twice.

"Good luck to them. They have done well to turn their season around after a slow start."

Swans' fans took great joy in goading ambitious Bournemouth about their alleged player payment policy throughout the final, which Lions clinched with a last-minute try to end Swans' reign.

The Purbeckers, who line up in South West Two East, admit they are not as professional an outfit as Lions, despite having beaten them in their previous five league and cup clashes before last weekend.

Cawley, meanwhile, is delighted Bournemouth will line up in the EDF Energy National Trophy for the first time next season after qualifying as county cup winners.

He said: "It's great just to be there. It's the first time I will have played in that competition, and the first time we will have entered into that level of rugby as a club.

"It'll be a fantastic experience for the club, and any win would be a bonus."

Asked if their cup triumph would act as a spur to future South West One success, Cawley added: "Technically, we are not safe yet this season.

"Hopefully we will be safe after our home game against Weston-super-Mare on Saturday.

"If we play like we have in the second half of the season, we would be up there challenging for the play-offs.

"We hope this cup win will lead to bigger and better things."