Hemel Hempstead as a club were originally formed after the Great War, starting life in 1919 as Camelot, playing on farmland with a barn as their clubhouse - with cows often having to be cleared from the field before the games could start. Camelot merged with a Sunbury based side in the late 1920s, going quiet during World War II, before re-emerging in 1949.

Camelot became Hemel Hempstead RFC in 1970 and now have a large, thriving club to reflect the town's population of nearly 100,000 ; there are three men's XVs, as well as a Vets and Exiles team, alongside a full youth set-up (men's rugby), a minis section and a dormant women's team.

Hemel spent most of the last 10 years or so between London 2 North West and London 3 North West, though have climbed up from Herts/Middlesex 2 from around the mid 2000s and achieved promotion to Regional 2 Thames for the 2023/24 season, finishing in an impressive fifth position in their debut campaign in the division.

The record win for the club was a thumping 134-7 win against West London (who, incidentally, are based in Greenford, a short distance from our the OPRFC base in Perivale), coming in 2007 in Herts/Middlesex 1, during a season where they won promotion.

A record defeat came against Hammersmith & Fulham in December 2013, a 104-5 defeat in London 2 North West.

Old Priorians and Hemel Hempstead have met six times before in the league, OPs four wins to two up in the head to head, though Hemel's two wins were both at home, in 2022 and 2023.

For more information on the club, please visit their website :

Hemel Hempstead RFC