Medway clinched the Regional 2 South East title on Saturday with a thrilling 45-36 victory over Old Tiffinians.

The win was their 17th of the season - enough to pip Beckenham to the championship by just two points.

Richie Ajuzie, John Sipawa, Jack Nickalls, Noah Hyde, Conor Chalmers and Jonah Hyde got the tries, and skipper Antony Clement said promotion was an “incredible feeling”.

“It was an incredible climax to the season, something we have worked incredibly hard for,” he said.

“The boys and I are so unbelievably proud of what we have achieved, not only for us as a squad but for the whole club. This promotion has been in the club’s eyesight for a long time and to finally achieve it with this group is incredible.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank every one of the Medway family who give up their Saturdays to support us.”

Ajuzie opened the scoring with Harrison Fermor converting, but the Old Boys fought back after a penalty lineout. A ruck and a few phases saw them go over the line and they went 14-7 ahead when the ball was spread out wide for their winger to break free and cross the whitewash.

Medway responded through Sipawa, who picked the ball up from the scrum and got past his man to go under the posts. Another successful conversion tied the scores, but Pete Cole was shown a yellow card for not rolling away very near the opposition’s try line.

From a scrum Tiffinians powered over the line to lead again, but hooker Nickalls pushed through several players to touch down, with the next score another Medway effort. Jamie Ford made a break and offloaded to man-of-the-match Conor Chalmers and, rapid down the wing, he found Noah Hyde who completed the final 10m for the try.

The conversion made it 28-21 and a score from Chalmers, running 60m after a knock-on from Old Tiffinians gave Medway a 35-21 advantage at half-time.

The visitors missed a conversion after reducing the deficit to nine points, before Jonah Hyde joined his brother on the scoresheet for Medway’s final try. A second yellow card of the game for the hosts went to Nickalls, who entered the ruck from the side, and another scrum for Tiffs ended in a try for 42-31.

Replacement front row Cameron Cauldwell also saw yellow - Medway's third of the match - and the visitors scored their final try. The last points of the game, though, came from the new champions with a penalty and the balcony erupted.

Medway return to action in the end-of-season Papa John’s Community competition against Sidcup on April 26.