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.
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.
Stortford dominate early, Rams then win eight
Rams lead the head-to-head 8-7, although it has run in streaks.
They first played Stortford in 2015/16, losing 27-15 at home and 53-5 on the road, suffering another double in their rivals’ title-winning campaign the following season.
This times the defeats were 25-24 at Old Bath Road and 36-33 away.
It was five on the spin as the maiden National One clash went Stortford’s way 21-11 at Silver Leys in October 2019, but Rams got off the mark in a 35-31 thriller before Covid hit.
When rugby returned for 2021/22, the Berkshire boys took the spoils 21-19 away and 17-5 on their own patch.
Two more victories followed (40-10 at Stortford and 26-14) before Rams made it seven on the spin in 2023/24.
This time they triumphed 26-10 at OBR and 26-14 at Silver Leys.
Seb Reynolds’ side ground out a 10-6 success in Hertfordshire last term, but then slumped to a disappointing 34-25 home reverse.
Defeat earlier in the season
And Bishop’s made it back-to-back victories by taking the spoils 36-29 last November.
Mike Cooke converted an early Morgan MacRae try to put the visitors in front, only for Stortford to hit back with Finn Keylock adding to tries from Asa Stewart-Harris and Frazier Kiff.
Axel Kalling-Smith was illegally hauled down to level the scores with a penalty try, but it was 26-14 to the hosts at half-time after Jake Morris and Isaac Bell crossed.
A stunning Tom Hitchcock seven-pointer seemed to make the game safe, but Rams rallied heroically with Andrew Lamb and Pete Austin cutting the gap to four.
But Keylock landed a penalty meaning MacRae’s last-play second was only enough to salvage a second bonus-point.
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