Hammersmith Hills Hoists

The Hoists celebrate a Grand Final victory in their inaugural season in 2009

In 2009, the Hoists inaugural season, the club blazed a trail through the London League, winning games 64–16 against Guildford, 64-4 versus Hemel, a 64–14 win over South London Storm and trouncing St Mary's 74–10 on their way to the Grand Final.

Here they were met by a Hemel Stags side trying to overturn the huge deficit between the teams from earlier in the season, but the Hoists, playing champagne rugby league inspired by the likes of Brendan Crilly and Mick Quinn, easily accounted for them once again via a 58 -6 scoreline. Other notable performances came from Dujon Jorgenson who kicked 9 out of 10 conversion attempts, as well as James Quarmby and Matt Fownes who both recorded try scoring doubles.

The club also tasted success in the Skolars Rugby League Invitational Nines tournament and the 2009 ANZAC Challenge, while also being victorious in the first ever game of rugby league played in Belgium against the Belgium national team. The club also contested fixtures against the Royal Navy, RAF and Metropolitan Police teams, with the latter being played at the Twickenham Stoop as a curtain raiser for a Harlequins Super League game in front of 12,982 fans. The Hoists putting their best foot forward in front of the large crowd, running in 10 tries to 1 in a 60-4 demolition with Mick Quinn earning man of the match honours.

2010 London League Premiers

Due to their success in 2009, the Hammersmith Hills Hoists moved up to the Rugby League Conference South Premier division for the 2010 season, finishing 2nd on the competition ladder after recording a record of 10 wins, 2 losses and 2 draws, with St Albans Centurions capturing the minor premiership.

This saw the Hoists face the West London Sharks in the semi final, for a chance to qualify for the season finale. Despite having home ground advantage the Hoists could not match the enthusiasm shown by their opposition in a see-sawing affair.

The Sharks opened the scoring in atrocious conditions, but the Hoists struck straight back through winger Tom Grigson who crossed in the corner. However, ill discipline and poor ball handling cost the home team, with repeat sets for the opposition stymieing the Hoists for the rest of the half, the Sharks running in several tries to go in to the break leading 24–4.

A different looking Hammersmith side came out in the second stanza, buoyed by an inspirational half time speech from coach Paul Farah and lead by halfback Wayde Kelly, who began controlling the forwards in the middle of the park. ‘Smoking’ Joe Riesterer finished off a classy back line move to score minutes after the break with Chris Peach converting to make it 24-10

2010 ANZAC Challenge winners

This was followed by two tries to strike centre Michael Lieberum, split by one score to the Sharks, getting Hammersmith back into the game at 28–20. Unfortunately ball security once again let the side down, letting in another Sharks try, before Lieberum found his way across the try line for a third time to make the score 34-24 heading towards full-time.

A final push from the Hoists proved fruitless, with another turnover gifting the West London Sharks another try and the 2010 premiership with a final score of 38–24.

The Hoists seconds team once again competed in the London League and went on to win it for the club for the second year running. The side defeating Northampton Demons 36–12 in the semi final, before going on to win in the Grand Final 50–18 over the Bedford Tigers. Man of the match if the Grand Final victory was Daniel Loader.

2011 Undefeated Rugby League Conference Southern Premiers

2011 saw the Hoists go through the Rugby League Conference South Premier season undefeated, finishing with a 12–0 record while amassing 444 points on their way to the minor premiership.

This saw Hammersmith begin their finals campaign with a quarter final match up against Bridgend Blue Bulls in Swindon, easily dispatching of the Welsh side in a 10 try, 58-6 performance. Tries were scored by Wade Cairns (2), Murray Crapp (2), Richie West (2), Joe Riesterer (2), George Smibert and Albin Malguy. Best on ground were Cairns, Crapp and Taylor Sorenson.

The victory earned the Hoists a home semi final against the team that dashed their premiership hopes a season before, the West London Sharks. Hammersmith were never going to take this game lightly and after an initial arm wrestle, got out to a 16-0 half time lead through tries from a trio of the team's European contingent in Albin Malguy, Lewis Jones and Judd Greenhalgh.

The second half saw the Hoists consolidate the lead built in the first through more tries from James Sharpe, Joe Reisterer and Brenton Winnell to run out 32-0 winners, booking a place in the Grand Final. Best on ground was Luke Bolster who was immense in defence, stopping the Sharks attack dead on more than once occasion.

The Grand Final saw the Hoists match up against the team that finished third on the competition table, St Albans Centurions. In a tight affair played all the way down the wire, Hammersmith emerged victors by an 18-16 scoreline.

2011 London League Premiers - The Hoists 3rd successive premiership in the competition

The London League team also repeated their achievement of the previous two seasons, by winning the London League competition over West Norfolk Wildcats 34–16, making it three premierships in a row.[2]

The club's success saw many players selected for representative honours, with Michael Lieberum and George Smibert representing Scotland 'A', Daniel Marzella and Daniel Shembri represent Malta, and 5 players, Jason Wren-Patterson, Michael Lieberum, Wayde Kelly, Luke Morris and Michael Crosby selected to play in the inaugural Commonwealth Ex Pats team against the Great Britain Community Lions. Kelly captained the team and Lieberum picked up the man of the match award.[3][4]

At the beginning of 2014 the Hoists were hit hard by the closure of long-term sponsor and supporter, Walkabout Inn Sheperd's Bush. This meant the club were without a sponsor and after an unsuccessful search for a replacement, it was announced on April 8 that the Hammersmith Hills Hoists would not be participating in the 2014 season. This came as a major disappointment to all those involved, but like a phoenix rising from the ashes, it was announced exactly one month later on May 8 that the Hoists would be playing in 2014, albeit in the London merit league, as this was the level the club's financial position would allow it to compete at.

The merit league proved no match for the Hoists, winning all of the fixtures organised, including a 76–0 win in which Mitchell Groth scored what is believed to be a club record 30 points.

2015 was very much a rebuilding year for the club after the disappointment of losing its major sponsor on the eve of the previous season. A deal was inked with Belushi's Hammersmith to become the Hoists new major for 2015, an agreement that is still in place today, a testament to the success it has borne for both parties.

It also saw many new faces, with the recruitment of names like Shiloh Mann, David Shutte, Lee Harrison, Jared Warren and Damien Clark, who would become key players for the club over the ensuing years, as well as the return of current head coach Vince Spurr, after a short playing stint with the London Skolars National League One side.

The Hoists started the season with consecutive losses against West Warriors and Eastern Rhinos, before splitting wins against London Skolars and Medway Dragons with a loss away to the Beckenham Bears. In what was a disjointed season due to byes, match abandonment due to injury, referees not showing up and opposition forfeits, the Hoists finished 4th on the competition table at the conclusion of the regular season.

This earned Hammersmith a semi final birth against top of the table London Chargers, the team they had lost to in the last round of the regular season 28–16. The Hoists went into the game under strength, missing key players Nathan Mann and Zac Cundell, and were straight onto the back foot from the opening whistle, dropping the kick off which lead to a Chargers try. This saw Chargers dominate the first half, with a try from prop Jared Warren the only thing to trouble the score keeper for the Hoists, the side going into the half time break down 24–4.

There was slight improvement in the second half defensively and club chairman Lynton Allen crossed from the Hoists only other score in what ended up a 36–8 loss to the eventual premiers.

2016 London Premier League Runners Up

After what were historically down years for the Hoists in 2014 and 2015, the team came out firing under new coaching staff and buoyed by a huge influx of new players in 2016, going undefeated for the first half of the season with an average winning scoreline of 52–10. This included a pair of 80-0 wins over Surrey Sharks and London Skolars respectively and a comfortable 28–12 win over eventual premiers West Warriors.

After splitting the seasonal head to head with the Warriors, the Hoists finished the season second on the ladder on points differential, booking a home semi final against Eastern Rhinos in the process.

The semi final was won 36-6 by the Hoists, meaning a return to the big dance after a two-year hiatus. Player's Player went to Lynton Allen, the custodian having a strong performance at the back, while Luke Rosa scored dick of the day in what was a reoccurring theme throughout 2016, for passing to an imaginary player on the right wing with the try line wide open. An unforgettable moment for those that witnessed it.

The following week saw the Hoists take on the aforementioned Wests Warriors in the London Premier League Grand Final, played at Chiswick Rugby on 20 August 2016.

The Hoists led the match at half time 10–8, but injuries sustained throughout the bruising affair took their toll in the second half, with the Warriors coming home the stronger of the two teams, running out 24-10 winners.

2016 Scandinavian 9's Champions

Brighton 9's

June saw the team travel south to the English seaside, for the annual Brighton 9's tournament.

2016 Brighton 9's Champions

The day saw a brief foray out of retirement for self proclaimed club legend and "yesterday's hero" Michael Lieberum, who strapped on the boots even though he'd just returned from a 3-month trip to Africa 15 kg lighter, something his body still hasn't recovered from.

The Hoists made easy work of the group stage, booking a spot in the final against arch rivals London Chargers. Chargers squandered multiple chances to put the game to bed, with the Hoists coming from behind twice in a golden point thriller to snatch victory and the tournament prize money.

Building off of a strong 2016 where the club was unlucky to lose in the Grand Final, the club recruited well in the offseason, adding names like Trent Richardson, Sam Broomhall and Byron Creighton, who brought with them valuable Queensland Cup experience to an already impressive looking squad.

The Hoists only lost twice in the regular season, squandering double digit leads in the last 10 minutes of matches against London Chargers and Wests Warriors, which saw them finish third on the competition table. With the squad welcoming back co-coach's Jared Warren and Nathan Mann from long-term injury a week before the finals, confidence was high as we drew West Warriors away at Twyford Avenue Sports Ground, the club that had relegated the Hoists to runners up in 2016.

In a grinding affair, fought all the way to the final whistle, Hammersmith emerged victorious 16–12, booking a second consecutive grand final appearance, this time against London Chargers, who had returned to the London Premier League following a 2016 in which they were crowned Premiers of the Conference League South.

The week leading up to the grand final saw club legends and first XIII regulars Brodie Baker and Jordan Ford answer an injury SOS, both of whom had left the country just weeks before, flying into London the day before the match from eastern Europe for the chance to help the Hoists secure their first premiership since 2012.

Played at New River Stadium in Tottenham on 19 August 2016, the Hoists were eventually able to dispatch of a strong Chargers side 25–18, with the game deadlocked at 18 a piece until the final 10 minutes. Man of the Match was awarded to Jared Warren, with other notable performances coming from Byron Creighton who scored a double, Sam Broomhall who worked tirelessly in defence, and Vince Spurr who guided the side around the park for 80 minutes and kicked the match sealing field goal.

2017 London Premier League Champions

2018 London Premier League Champions

Having fielded a part-time side in the London Merit League for the 2016 and 2017 seasons, the 2018 season saw recruitment numbers dip, meaning the club was unable to field a second's team and the full focus now on the London Premier Division. Leading the competition for most of the year, the Hoists looked set to claim their first minor premiership since 2012 before going down to the West Warriors in the final round of the regular season, 34–18, relegating the club once again to a second-place finish.

As was the case in 2017, the semi final pitted Hammersmith against their west London rivals Wests Warriors, this meant the teams also faced each for the second week running. A rejuvenated Hoists side welcoming back key middle forwards Sam Broomhall and Jimmy Loneragan, overturned the previous week's result with the team running out 28-4 winners. Player's player voting for the match was a 4-way tie between Mitch Wilson, Nathan Mann, Matt Romano and Lennon Bartlett, showing the quality of the performance across the park.

The result saw the Hoists qualify for their third consecutive Grand Final appearance, once again facing arch rivals London Chargers, with the match being played at Twyford Avenue Sports Ground on 18 August 2018. The Hoists came out strong and were first on the scoreboard through a Lennon Bartlett try, who showed excellent lower body strength to drive over from 10 metres out. Following this, it seemed as though the team thought they had the game won and before they knew it were walking off for half time oranges facing at 8-4 scoreline in favour of Chargers.

This led to a half time spray from coaching staff that they say could be heard in the next county, but the playing group reacted and after a 15-minute arm wrestle, wily veteran winger Russell Kelleway snuck over he try line from dummy half to shift momentum the Hoists way. Vince Spurr converted to give the side a 10–8 lead heading into the final 20 minutes. From here a glut of possession and field position saw the Hoists score twice more through front rower Jared Warren, running out 20-8 winners and being crowned back to back Premiers[5].

Man of the Match was awarded to Jared Warren for his two try second half showing, but Sam Broomhall could count himself unlucky not to receive the award after another tireless 80 minute performance. The duo ably supported by Mitchell Wilson, Nathan Mann, Matthew Romano and Bartlett.[5]

2019 Southern Conference League Premiers - Completing the second three-peat in the club's history

2019 saw a fresh approach to the competition structure, with Hammersmith now competing in the newly founded Southern Conference League, launched by the RFL with the aim of bringing together the best community rugby league teams across the south of England and Wales.[6]

Hammersmith finished the regular season in second position, only conceding 84 points in 8 regular season games while scoring a mammoth 328. A late season falter in the East Division Playoffs due to injury and player availability sent the Hoists off to Wales, where they fought a close encounter with the Torfaen Tigers, eventually running out 24-22 victors.

This meant for the third year running Hammersmith would face off against Wests Warriors in the semi finals, renewing their rivalry for a qualification into the inaugural Southern Conference League Grand Final. A huge team defensive effort and a dominant two try performance from dummy half Matthew Romano, saw the Hoists run out resounding victors 32–6, booking a place against London Chargers in the finale for a third straight year.

The Southern Conference League Grand Final was played at Amry Rugby Stadium in Aldershot on 14 September 2019.

In a tight match which saw London Chargers lead 4-0 deep into the second half, tries from Nathan Mann, Jordan Darkwa and Blake Waterhouse saw Hammersmith win 16-10 and secure their third successive premiership. Man of the Match was awarded to fullback Dane O'Hehir who was a constant threat in attack and rock solid at the back.

• RFL Southern Conference League Premiers: 2011, 2012, 2019
• London League Premiers: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2017, 2018
• London Rugby League 9's Champions: 2010, 2011, 2012
• ANZAC Challenge Winners: 2009, 2010, 2011
• Skolars Invitational 9's Champions: 2009
• Scandinavian 9's Champions: 2016
• Brighton 9's Champions: 2016
• London and South East Club of the Year: 2012

List of players that represented the Hammersmith Hills Hoists during the inaugural 2009 season.

• Chris Anslow
• Drew Anthony
• Wayne Baker
• Chris Bartlett
• John Beaumont
• Michael Bennett
• Matthew Cameron
• Ben Clarke
• Tom Cooper
• Brendan Crilly
• Joel Crouch
• Liam Daly
• Mark Diprose
• Brendan Eckert
• Hayden Everingham
• Paul Farah
• Wade Formosa
• Luke Fownes
• Matthew Fownes
• Matt Gallagher
• Josh Geitz
• Marc Harris
• Tim Hollins
• Dujon Jorgenson
• Dylan Maley
• Justin McIlveen
• Mark McLennan
• Nathan McLoughlin
• Jason McRae
• Anthony Mills
• Adam Mooney
• Karl Mulcahy
• Murray Newham
• Chris Peach
• Ryan Philp
• James Quarmby
• Michael Quinn
• Joseph Riesterer
• Peter Roddy
• Mitch Rodway
• Callan Sipthorp
• James Skee
• Philip Smith
• Dan Sullivan
• Justin Walker
• Luke Wiggins
• Matt Wiggins
• Tim Wilson

Hammersmith have qualified for the RFL Challenge Cup on three occasions in the club's history, but cold winter afternoons in the middle of the offseason have not been fruitful for the Hoists, having bowed out in the first round of all 3 appearances.

• 2018: London Chargers 18-0 Loss
• 2019: West Bowling A.R.L.F.C. 42-12 Loss
• 2020: York Acorn 36-14 Loss

• Official website