Hemel Stags - History

History

Hemel Stags were founded in April 1981 based at Pennine Way. They began as a pub team wearing borrowed shirts. For the first 14 years of existence it was difficult to operate as a rugby league club because of the restrictions placed on rugby union players by the RFU. This meant that union players who wanted to play rugby league risked being banned from playing rugby union for life and as such are major pioneers of rugby league in the south of England.

In February 1985, Stags opened their first social club at Pennine Way and commercial pressures led to them leaving the London League division two and joining the Midlands and South West Amateur Rugby League Association (MASWARLA) for the 1986/87 and 1987/88 seasons. This brought playing success and on the club's return to the London Amateur Rugby League in 1987 the club became the dominant force in amateur rugby league in the South of England. Hemel were London League champions in 1989/90 and 1990/91 and from there joined the Rugby League Alliance in 1991. The club played the reserve teams of professional clubs. At the same time the club appointed Chris Tate as their first full-time Development Officer with the task of developing junior and youth players in Hemel.

They spent three seasons in the National Conference League Premier Division between 1993 and 1996. David Ellis coached at the club during the 1993/94 and the 1994/95 seasons. In 1994, Hemel played London Broncos in the Regal Trophy; they led the Broncos 18-6 at half-time only to succumb in the final 10 minutes.

Hemel were the last winners of the Southern Cup in 1995, beating London Colonials at Roslyn Park RFC. They were relegated from the NCL Premier division in 1995/96 finishing bottom, having played 22 won 4 and lost 18. After relegation Hemel resigned, spent a year in the London League then returned to the Rugby League Alliance in 1997. Hemel won the First Division of the Alliance in 1998 under player-coach Jay Turrner and would have won promotion to the Super League Alliance but for their lack of a suitable stadium; their plan to build a stadium with National Lottery money having fallen through.

With the Rugby League Alliance being scrapped and their application for the Northern Ford Premiership rejected again because of their lack of a stadium. Stags joined the newly formed Rugby League Conference for the 1999 season. After several years in the Rugby League Conference they entered the newly formed National League 3 in 2003. Although they lost all their games in the first season, they progressed steadily and made the 2006 Grand Final under new coach Troy Perkins; losing to Bramley Buffaloes.

2006 also saw the club enter the Northern Rail Cup, where they met local rivals St Albans Centurions as well as semi-professional outfits London Skolars and Crusaders. They finished in second place in the 2006 league table and qualified through the play-offs for the Grand Final, where they lost to Bramley Buffaloes by 30 points to 8.

The arrival of Callum Irving as Community Rugby League Coach in 2006 revitalised junior rugby league in Hemel and subsequently led to the club joining the Gillette National Youth League in 2008. In September 2008, the club obtained planning permission for a small stadium at Pennine Way and in 2010 the first stage was completed with the enclosure of the ground and the opening of an all-weather training pitch and the floodlighting of the main pitch.

In February 2012, Hemel were announced as the second side to join an expanded Championship 1 division for the 2013 season.

Hemel Stags beat Huddersfield Underbank Rangers 17-10 in the National Conference League Division 3 Grand Final on 29th September 2012.