| Stag | |||
| Club information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Hemel Stags Rugby League Club | ||
| Website | www.hemelstags.com | ||
| Colours | Blue and yellow | ||
| Founded | 1981 | ||
| Current details | |||
| Ground(s) | Pennine Way (Coordinates: 51°46′04.87″N, 0°27′12.83″W) | ||
| Competition | Rugby League Conference National Division | ||
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.
Contents |
Hemel Stags were founded in 1981 and as such are major pioneers of rugby league in the south of England. 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.
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 MASWARLA (Midlands and South West Amateur Rugby League Association) for the 1986/87 and 1987/88 seasons.
Hemel were London League champions in 1989/90 and 1990/91 and from there joined the Rugby League Alliance. Hemel were the last winners of the Southern Cup in 1995, beating London Colonials at Roslyn Park RFC.
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. They were relegated from the Premier division in 1995/96 finishing bottom, having played 22 won 4 and lost 18, scored 288 points with 619 against. 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 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 and have progressed steadily to become one of the front runners in 2006.
2006 also saw the club enter the Northern Rail Cup, where they met local rivals St Albans Centurions as well as 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.
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 League.
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