Twickenham Stadium

The Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) rugby team, comprising bankers, lawyers and insurance brokers based in the City of London, will be at Twickenham Stadium this coming Saturday (May 14), to compete in the final of the RFU Junior Vase.

The players’ working week is spent with well known City firms such as JP Morgan Cazenove, ENRC, Morgan Stanley, Mischon de Reya, Willis and Kiln but at weekends they have collectively become one of the strongest amateur rugby clubs in England.

The RFU Junior Vase is the annual cup competition for clubs playing at Level 9 or below in the league system. Starting out as one of a thousand junior clubs involved in the competition, the HAC has battled its way to the final over the last nine months, beating the champions of Kent, Sussex and Eastern Counties before an epic extra time victory over Painswick from Gloucestershire in the semi final.

The HAC is the oldest serving regiment in the British Army and is based on the doorstep of the City of London at Moorgate and boasts one of the most valuable rugby pitches in the world.

As an active TA regiment, members of the HAC serve with the regular army in Afghanistan and provide ceremonial honour guards at major London events including the Lord Mayor’s Show.

Rob Kerrigan, a lawyer at Allen & Overy, who captains the team, said: “It’s been a very long season, over 30 matches, but we now we find ourselves on the brink of something very special. Most of the players have previously only been spectators at Twickenham so it will be great to play at last on the hallowed turf.

The 1st XV has won its second consecutive league title this season, earning promotion form Herts and Middlesex 1 to London & North West Division 3, while the 2nd XV have also won their league and earned a second consecutive promotion.

HAC RFC will square off against Edwardians RFC of Birmingham for the RFU Junior Vase at Twickenham on Saturday 14 May at 11 am.