Whats On Hertford

The Club, originally known as Old Hertfordians RFC was founded in 1932 by a group of enthusiasts from Hertford Grammar School who had been introduced to the game at school in 1928. With just fifteen playing members and a subscription of 2/6d (£0.12.5p) they played four games that season, winning 3 but being heavily defeated by the School XV

Between 1932 and 1949 the club had a nomadic existence using six different grounds. In that first season the schools facilities were used, but the following year, basing itself at the Reindeer pub on Port Hill, the Club had use of a pitch on Hartham Common. From there it moved in 1935 to a ground by the sewage works at Rye House, the scene of the notorious plot on the life of King Charles II. Three years later came the last pre-war move to Ware Road, Hoddesdon.

While at Rye House a pavillion had been purchased for £30 and this was proudly and carefully transported to the Ware Road site in 1938.

On reforming after the War in 1946 there was both good and bad news. The Ware Road pitch had been ploughed up but the club was £25 better off with the sale of the pavillion. That year the Club made use of the recreation ground in Station Road, Broxbourne, the only problem being that a public right of way ran across the pitch and every Saturday afternoon an old lady would wander across the ground pushing a pram in which she collected firewood. A sympathetic referee would arrange for half time to coincide with her visit but otherwise she was quite oblivious to what was going on around her.

In 1948 came the penultimate move further down Station Road to a constantly flooded nettle strewn pitch beside the River Lea. In 1949 the current site at Hoe Lane, Ware was purchased from McMullens for £825. What had been grazing land was turned into two pitches. Inevitably the early games were not so much a question of playing rugby but more a question of going through the motions!

At Hoe Lane two huts were erected at a cost of £550 and in 1953 a small pavillion was built on the front of the huts and was dedicated as a memorial to the Old Boys killed in the War. The present clubhouse was built in 1966 and six years later, with the non-old boys now a significant minority within the Club the decision was made to change the name to Hertford RFC.