The current Clubhouse was re-opened in 1985 when an international select XV took on the First XV.
The club adjusted quickly to the introduction of League rugby in 1987 and immediately won promotion to London Two North.
It was decided a period of consolidation was necessary – which in fact lasted 15 years.
During this period, however, the Herts club was always in the top half of the table and after several near misses won promotion to London One in 2003.
This became National Three London & South East in 2012 and the following year they took another step up the pyramid in breath-taking style.
Leaders Dorking were overtaken in the penultimate game of the season and the title was sealed against Old Elthamians in front of a home crowd of 1,500.
Near misses before promotion
After a difficult start to life in National Two South, Bishop’s Stortford soon adjusted and on the final day of the season beat league winners Hartpury College to finish third.
Then they reached the play-offs but lost 19-10 to Ampthill, and finished third again the next season before winning the title in 2017.
Rams have met the Herts side 14 times and lost the first five, only for a swing to start with the pre-Covid 35-31 win at Old Bath Road before the world shut down in March 2020.
Rams turn the tide
Upon rugby’s return, a late Steffan James conversion helped Rams edge a 21-19 triumph at Stortford in October 2021, and they completed a double with a 17-5 home triumph later that season.
One of the outstanding performances in the following campaign saw Rams pick up a 40-10 away victory in Week Four, a fifth straight win levelling the all-time record as Dan Swain starred in a 26-14 success in January.
In the 2023/24 campaign Rams won 26-10 at OBR, Max Hayman and Jak Rossiter crossing in the first half as Fraser Honey added to the first.
A Chris Bolton penalty got the visitors on the board, but converted Zach Clow and Ollie Cole tries put the game to bed before Ollie Jones grabbed a late consolation, Connor Lloyd with the extras.
Rams then survived a scare by turning around a 14-12 half-time deficit to triumph 26-14 in Hertfordshire, James McRae and Rossiter both at the double as Honey slotted three conversions.
Spoils shared last term
Last season Stortford became the first team to deny Rams a try bonus-point, albeit the visitors earned a 10-6 success as Axel Kalling-Smith and Tomek Pozniak touched down.
The Bishop’s points came from two Mike Cooke penalties which had given them a single-point half-time advantage.
But they then sealed a 34-25 success at Old Bath Road as current Ram Cooke pulled the strings for the visitors.
An early Rowan Grundy try had the hosts in front, but Stortford twice mauled over through Isaac Bell and Will Rodgers, a brace of conversions making it 14-5.
David Hayes, Henry Peck and Cooke were sin-binned as Stortford were reduced to 12 men in a wild second quarter, Clow and Andrew Lamb dotting down before a Tom Mills penalty gave Bishop’s a two-point half-time lead.
Honey converted a Kalling-Smith score to regain the lead, only for Mills and Chris Smith to dot down, Cooke on target after the latter.
A Honey penalty cut the gap to 29-25, but a third maul try, Alex Rayment the beneficiary, sealed the deal for the away side.
