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muddy pitches and two huts at
Overstone Road. Two more pitches, a training area and a car park were added over the next few years. After much heart searching two squash courts were completed in 1968 with a third added in 1974 and additional accommodation added in 1979. The provision of squash courts allowed the Harpenden Squash Club, previously without a home in the town, to have a base.
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flourishing, having 65 playing members. Nearly all of them found their way into the services during the last war when the club had to cease playing. In 1946 play began again at
Overstone Road thanks to the forethought of the founders who had, at the outset, formed a limited company, which assisted in restarting the game after the cessation of hostilities. Rugby prospered in the town.
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The club now runs three senior men's sides, a colts side and has a thriving mini and junior section catering for all age groups from 7 years to colts. 2016 saw the introduction of the
Harpenden Ladies Senior team who compete in a merit league. The junior girls offer female only training sessions from
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in the High Street was transferred to another barn behind the rival pub on the opposite side of the road, 'The Cross Keys'. That pub has remained a meeting point for club members over the years. It was, under Reg
Johnson (the Landlord at that time), instrumental in establishing The National Original
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was formed to provide small social amenities including a licensed bar; and to accommodate it in 1951 a further hut was built. In 1955 the hut was doubled in size. By then the club was regularly fielding 6 XVs. Having only 2 pitches and limited changing and bar facilities, and no room to expand, the
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It was one of the first clubs in the area to sell its ground for development and build a new, at that time, state of the art clubhouse. The new clubhouse opened in the 1964–65 season with three pitches, a brand new 5,000 sq ft (460 m) clubhouse and a grandstand; a far cry from two
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By 1926 the club was able to establish a more permanent home in a field behind the water tower in
Overstone Road, with a wooden hut as both pavilion and changing room. Additional land was subsequently acquired, affording another pitch, and a spectators' stand was built at that time. The club was
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The following season, on 2 March 1921, they were officially constituted as the
Harpenden Rugby Football Club and began to establish themselves. Unfortunately their use of the pitch in Rothamsted Park was abruptly terminated by the then Lady of the Manor who apparently classified rugby players as
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reorganisation of the leagues (introducing a new London 4NW in 2000–01) meaning that following two steady seasons in London 2N, the club found itself back in 3NW in 2000, where it has remained since. In the abbreviated form of the game, the club has been the County leader carrying off the
325:, the British Army squad, along with a number of amateur teams from all over the country. 2015 was the first year a companion women's tournament was arranged, and is now known as the Hen 7s. The tournament was a great success with international players, including Lotte Clapp and
296:
Hertfordshire County 7's title three times since 2003 – the winning squad representing
Hertfordshire in the National County 7's each time. The colts team regularly contest the County Cup and have emulated the senior side by winning the Colts 7's in 2005, 2006 and 2007.
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need for completely new accommodation became obvious. The search for a new ground began in 1957, but not until 1964 was the club finally able to negotiate the sale of its old ground and establish itself at its current venue in
Deacons Field, Redbourn Lane.
217:' in the High Street on the corner of Vaughan Road, Harpenden. For the most part they had all played rugby at school and decided they would try and form a side to continue playing together. After some difficulty they found a ground they could use in
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A considerable force in County rugby over the years, the club suffered a few bleak seasons in the mid-1990s when it descended to Herts League 1. After some re-organisation, an amazing three seasons followed with the club being crowned
Champions of
221:, a large open area owned by the Lord of the Manor, contacted some opponents and managed to arrange a few games during the 1919–20 season, playing as Harpenden Old Public Schoolboys.
291:, winning the NPI Junior Cup. The intervening period has seen the club consolidate its position in the London leagues. This goal has not been helped by the, at that time, regular
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Cross Keys Pub Sevens which over 30 years has grown from a small ad hoc tournament catering for a few local players who wanted to play on a Sunday to the annual HRFC Pub Sevens.
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Division 1 (1995–96), Herts/Middlesex
Division 1 (1996–97) and London 3NW (1997–98) ending the run in London 2N. Arguably, Harpenden's finest hour came on 3 May 1997 at
309:. The large number of teams across all ages for both men and women has meant that today, the club is a well-established sporting and social facility in the town.
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230:'rough loiterers'; a new pitch was then found in Townsend Lane. At the same time the changing accommodation, a barn behind 'The Cock'
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It was formed in 1919 when a group of young men, old friends and school friends were having coffee together in '
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In its 58th year (as at 2024) the tournament has hosted a wide range of teams including
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Harpenden RFC hosts the yearly National Pub 7s, a rugby 7s tournament run early July.
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In the 1980s floodlights were provided for the training pitch.
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329:, participating alongside their amateur teams.
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1567:Timeline of rugby union on UK television
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1217:Counties 3 Durham & Northumberland
1212:Counties 2 Durham & Northumberland
1207:Counties 1 Durham & Northumberland
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13:
1613:Rugby union clubs in Hertfordshire
371:promotion playoff winners: 2018–19
369:London 2 (north-east v north-west)
323:Germany national rugby sevens team
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205:at the end of the 2021–22 season.
14:
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1593:"The National Pub and Hen Sevens"
201:– following their promotion from
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1618:Rugby clubs established in 1919
787:Premiership Rugby Sevens Series
365:champions (3): 2013, 2014, 2015
359:champions (2): 1997–98, 2008–09
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238:
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1398:Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier
451:Rugby Football Union for Women
1:
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183:Harpenden Rugby Football Club
32:Harpenden Rugby Football Club
716:European Rugby Challenge Cup
711:European Rugby Champions Cup
382:London & SE Division RFU
208:
197:– a league at tier 5 of the
52:; 105 years ago
7:
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327:Alex Matthews (rugby union)
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10:
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1562:English rugby union system
1428:Dorset & Wilts 3 North
1423:Dorset & Wilts 2 South
1418:Dorset & Wilts 2 North
1413:Dorset & Wilts 1 South
1408:Dorset & Wilts 1 North
930:Counties 1 Herts/Middlesex
548:International competitions
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319:NationalPubSevens web site
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199:English rugby union system
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1463:Discontinued competitions
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1288:Counties 1 Southern South
1283:Counties 1 Southern North
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1026:Regional 2 North Midlands
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885:London 3 Eastern Counties
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691:Premiership Women's Rugby
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509:British & Irish Lions
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1293:Counties 1 Western North
1036:Regional 2 East Midlands
1031:Regional 2 West Midlands
965:Counties 1 Surrey/Sussex
830:Regional 2 South Central
820:Regional 1 South Central
582:Sevens Grand Prix Series
1485:National League 2 South
1480:Divisional Championship
1298:Counties 1 Western West
1261:South West competitions
1101:Midlands 5 West (South)
1096:Midlands 4 East (South)
1091:Midlands 4 East (North)
1086:Midlands 4 West (South)
1081:Midlands 4 West (North)
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1071:Midlands 3 East (North)
1066:Midlands 3 West (South)
1061:Midlands 3 West (North)
1056:Midlands 2 East (South)
1051:Midlands 2 East (North)
1046:Midlands 2 West (South)
1041:Midlands 2 West (North)
762:National League 2 North
168:51.8022306°N 0.372389°W
806:London and South East
767:National League 2 West
757:National League 2 East
655:London and SE Division
572:Rugby World Cup Sevens
431:Rugby union in England
1516:International players
1475:Cornwall/Devon League
1328:Counties 3 Devon West
1323:Counties 3 Devon East
1278:Regional 2 South West
1268:Regional 1 South West
1157:Regional 2 North West
1152:Regional 2 North East
1142:Regional 1 North West
1137:Regional 1 North East
1130:Northern competitions
835:Regional 2 South East
815:Regional 1 South East
725:National competitions
704:European competitions
626:Competition divisions
195:Regional 1 South East
173:51.8022306; -0.372389
117:Regional 1 South East
1358:Gloucestershire Cups
1247:Counties 4 Yorkshire
1242:Counties 3 Yorkshire
1237:Counties 2 Yorkshire
1232:Counties 1 Yorkshire
1014:Midland competitions
772:RFU Intermediate Cup
675:United Hospitals Cup
446:Rugby Football Union
307:Harpenden Rugby Club
1437:County competitions
1308:Counties 3 Cornwall
1303:Counties 2 Cornwall
1227:Northumberland Cups
1111:North Midlands Cups
1106:Leicestershire Cups
1021:Regional 1 Midlands
880:London 3 South West
875:London 3 South East
870:London 3 North West
865:London 2 South West
860:London 2 South East
855:London 2 North West
850:London 2 North East
792:Women's Premiership
670:South West Division
613:World Series Sevens
577:Sevens World Series
514:England Counties XV
455:merged into the RFU
363:Herts County Sevens
357:London 3 North West
164: /
23:
1353:Gloucester 2 South
1348:Gloucester 2 North
1338:Gloucester Premier
1197:Counties 1 Cumbria
1116:Staffordshire Cups
940:Hertfordshire Cups
905:Eastern Counties 3
900:Eastern Counties 2
895:Eastern Counties 1
587:Commonwealth Games
347:champions: 1996–97
341:champions: 1995–96
21:
1575:
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1541:Ella-Mobbs Trophy
1536:Millennium Trophy
1500:South West 1 East
1273:Regional 2 Severn
1121:Warwickshire Cups
995:Counties 2 Sussex
985:Counties 5 Surrey
980:Counties 4 Surrey
975:Counties 3 Surrey
970:Counties 2 Surrey
935:Herts/Middlesex 2
915:Hampshire Premier
840:Regional 2 Thames
825:Regional 2 Anglia
752:National League 1
732:Premiership Rugby
699:
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660:Northern Division
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387:Hertfordshire RFU
345:Herts/Middlesex 1
148:
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41:Hertfordshire RFU
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1509:Related articles
1495:RFU Knockout Cup
1403:Oxfordshire Cups
1388:Somerset 3 South
1383:Somerset 3 North
1378:Somerset 2 South
1373:Somerset 2 North
1363:Somerset Premier
1318:Counties 2 Devon
1182:Lancs/Cheshire 2
1177:Lancs/Cheshire 1
1147:Regional 2 North
747:Championship Cup
742:RFU Championship
665:Midland Division
650:National Leagues
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215:Bunty's Tea Room
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131:Official website
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782:RFU Junior Vase
777:RFU Senior Vase
737:Premiership Cup
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313:National Pub 7s
305:age 12 and up.
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278:1990 and onward
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219:Rothamsted Park
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193:. They play in
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351:NPI Junior Cup
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1490:North Premier
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1393:Somerset Cups
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1313:Cornwall Cups
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1187:Cheshire Cups
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1444:Division 1
1368:Somerset 1
1333:Devon Cups
289:Twickenham
18:Rugby team
1623:Harpenden
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293:RFU
138:www
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