Hemel Stags
Encyclopedia
Hemel Stags are a rugby league
team based in Hemel Hempstead
, Hertfordshire
playing in the National Division
of the Rugby League Conference
.
The club has played in a number of leagues over the years, from the London League
, MASWARLA, National Conference League
and the Alliance League. The dilemma for the club was how to raise standards without the costs of constant trips to the stronger leagues in the North of England.
The club also has an active development policy in the town and a number of schools and junior sides supported by the development officer. Two Hemel players, Jack Howieson and Simon Tillyer, went on to play professionally for Sheffield Eagles
.
During the club's early seasons, success on the field was hard to come by. Nethertheless the club was determined to prosper and in their fourth season they opened their first social club at Pennine Way in February 1985 - a modest self-build affair.
A move to the Midlands & South West Rugby League 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.
Their clubhouse was doubled in size in 1987 and by 1990 Hemel were ready to move up to the national stage of rugby league. In 1991 the club was admitted to the Rugby League Alliance playing 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.
Growing confidence in the club saw the opening of a completely new social club with the old clubhouse being converted to changing rooms.
A move to the National Conference League saw the club narrowly miss promotion to the professional ranks in 1993. In 1994, the club had its finest day when they played London Broncos in the Regal Trophy. Superby coached by David Ellis- who went on to become defence coach of the French National Rugby Union team - they led the Broncos 18-6 at half time only to succumb in the final 10 minutes. The club's playing depth that day was emphaised when, in the curtain-raiser, their reserves won the Southern Counties Cup against the all-Kiwi South London Warriors.
A switch to summer rugby and a return to the Rugby League Alliance in 1997 brought success under player-coach Jay Turrner who secured the First Division title in1998 and the right to play Super League Alliance in 1999.
Ground difficulties meant the club had to drop down to the Rugby League Conference in 1999 and in 2003 became founder members of National League Three, later to become the Rugby League Conference National. A Grand Final spot under new coach Troy Perkins was achieved in 2006 with the club losing to old rivals Bramley Buffaloes.
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 prestigious Gillette National Youth League in 2008
From 2002 onwards the club had begun to address the ground issues at Pennine Way. In September 2008 they 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.
Timeline:
1981 - First match 3 April, 1981 v McEntee
1981-83 London League Division II
1998 Rugby League Alliance First Division Champions
1999 Entered Rugby League Conference
2000 RLC Eastern Division Champions
2001 RLC Harry Jepson Trophy Semi-Finalists,RLC Eastern Counties Cup Winners, RLC
Central Southern Champions
2002 RLC Harry Jepson Trophy Grand Finalists, RLC Central Southern Champions
2003 Entered National League Three
2005 Entered Northern Rail National Cup
2006 Grand Finalists National League Three
2006 Awarded Club Mark status at the Super League Grand Final
1982 Tour to Paris (Les Ulis)
1983 Floodlighting installed
1983-84 London League Division I
1983 Tour to Italy (Venice Sevens)
1984-86 London League Division II
1985 First social club opened
1985 Tour to Paris (Les Ulis)
1986-88 Midlands & South West League
1987 Clubhouse extension opened
1988 Tour to Holland (International Tournament)
1988-91 London League Division I
1990 Fulltime Development Manager appointed(Chris Tate)
1991 CASHLINE lottery launched
1991-93 Rugby League Alliance - Division II
1992 New social club opened
1992 Tour to Provence(Magic Ball Tournament)
1993-96 National Conference League Premier Division
1993 Tour to Provence(Magic Ball Tournament)
1994 New changing rooms opened
1996-97 London League Division I
1997-98 Rugby League Alliance First Division
2007 Rugby League Conference National playoffs
2009 Rugby League Conference National playoffs
2010 Rugby League Conference National playoffs
2010 Awarded Club Mark Gold Status
2011 Official Opening of new Facilities
.
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
team based in Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead is a town in Hertfordshire in the East of England, to the north west of London and part of the Greater London Urban Area. The population at the 2001 Census was 81,143 ....
, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
playing in the National Division
Rugby League Conference National Division
The Rugby League Conference National Division is the highest division in the Rugby League Conference. Between 2003 and 2006, it was known as National League Three.-National League Three:...
of the Rugby League Conference
Rugby League Conference
The Rugby League Conference , was a series of regionally based divisions of amateur rugby league teams spread throughout England, Scotland and Wales.The RLC was founded as the 10-team Southern Conference League in 1997, with teams from the southern midlands and the...
.
The club has played in a number of leagues over the years, from the London League
London League (rugby league)
The London, South and East Merit League is a rugby league competition founded in 1965. It is also known as the London League , London & South East Merit League, London Amateur Rugby League and London Merit League ....
, MASWARLA, National Conference League
National Conference League
The National Conference League is the top league in the pyramid of amateur rugby leagues run by the British Amateur Rugby League Association...
and the Alliance League. The dilemma for the club was how to raise standards without the costs of constant trips to the stronger leagues in the North of England.
The club also has an active development policy in the town and a number of schools and junior sides supported by the development officer. Two Hemel players, Jack Howieson and Simon Tillyer, went on to play professionally for Sheffield Eagles
Sheffield Eagles
Sheffield Eagles RLFC are an English rugby league club based in the South Yorkshire city of Sheffield. They currently play in the Co-operative Championship. Their home games are played at Bramall Lane after leaving Don Valley Stadium in late 2009....
.
History
Rugby League came to Hemel Hempstead on the 3rd April, 1981 when Hemel played their first match at Pennine Way against Walthamstowe-based McEntee, losing 38-0. After a series of friendly fixtures during the summer of 1981 the club was formally constituted and joined the Second Division of the South Amateur Rugby League.During the club's early seasons, success on the field was hard to come by. Nethertheless the club was determined to prosper and in their fourth season they opened their first social club at Pennine Way in February 1985 - a modest self-build affair.
A move to the Midlands & South West Rugby League 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.
Their clubhouse was doubled in size in 1987 and by 1990 Hemel were ready to move up to the national stage of rugby league. In 1991 the club was admitted to the Rugby League Alliance playing 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.
Growing confidence in the club saw the opening of a completely new social club with the old clubhouse being converted to changing rooms.
A move to the National Conference League saw the club narrowly miss promotion to the professional ranks in 1993. In 1994, the club had its finest day when they played London Broncos in the Regal Trophy. Superby coached by David Ellis- who went on to become defence coach of the French National Rugby Union team - they led the Broncos 18-6 at half time only to succumb in the final 10 minutes. The club's playing depth that day was emphaised when, in the curtain-raiser, their reserves won the Southern Counties Cup against the all-Kiwi South London Warriors.
A switch to summer rugby and a return to the Rugby League Alliance in 1997 brought success under player-coach Jay Turrner who secured the First Division title in1998 and the right to play Super League Alliance in 1999.
Ground difficulties meant the club had to drop down to the Rugby League Conference in 1999 and in 2003 became founder members of National League Three, later to become the Rugby League Conference National. A Grand Final spot under new coach Troy Perkins was achieved in 2006 with the club losing to old rivals Bramley Buffaloes.
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 prestigious Gillette National Youth League in 2008
From 2002 onwards the club had begun to address the ground issues at Pennine Way. In September 2008 they 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.
Timeline:
1981 - First match 3 April, 1981 v McEntee
1981-83 London League Division II
1998 Rugby League Alliance First Division Champions
1999 Entered Rugby League Conference
2000 RLC Eastern Division Champions
2001 RLC Harry Jepson Trophy Semi-Finalists,RLC Eastern Counties Cup Winners, RLC
Central Southern Champions
2002 RLC Harry Jepson Trophy Grand Finalists, RLC Central Southern Champions
2003 Entered National League Three
2005 Entered Northern Rail National Cup
2006 Grand Finalists National League Three
2006 Awarded Club Mark status at the Super League Grand Final
1982 Tour to Paris (Les Ulis)
1983 Floodlighting installed
1983-84 London League Division I
1983 Tour to Italy (Venice Sevens)
1984-86 London League Division II
1985 First social club opened
1985 Tour to Paris (Les Ulis)
1986-88 Midlands & South West League
1987 Clubhouse extension opened
1988 Tour to Holland (International Tournament)
1988-91 London League Division I
1990 Fulltime Development Manager appointed(Chris Tate)
1991 CASHLINE lottery launched
1991-93 Rugby League Alliance - Division II
1992 New social club opened
1992 Tour to Provence(Magic Ball Tournament)
1993-96 National Conference League Premier Division
1993 Tour to Provence(Magic Ball Tournament)
1994 New changing rooms opened
1996-97 London League Division I
1997-98 Rugby League Alliance First Division
2007 Rugby League Conference National playoffs
2009 Rugby League Conference National playoffs
2010 Rugby League Conference National playoffs
2010 Awarded Club Mark Gold Status
2011 Official Opening of new Facilities
Juniors
Cluster clubs enter the winter Chilterns Junior League at under-13 and under-15 age groups. Hemel Stags also field a team in the Gillette National Youth League and age group London Junior LeagueLondon Junior League
The London Junior League is a rugby league competition for clubs in London and the South East of England.The season runs from February through to September. It is competed for at under-16, under-14, under-13 and under-12 level. There is also a Rugby League Conference Academy league for the under-18...
.
Club honours
- London League: 1988/9, 1989/90, 1990/1
- Southern Cup: 1995
- Rugby League Alliance First Division: 1998
- RLC Eastern Division: 2000
- RLC South Central Division: 2001, 2002
- London Junior League: 2006, 2008