Harlequin Amateurs Rugby Football Club are a Twickenham-based English rugbyunion club who play their rugby in the RFU league system, currently in Herts/Middlesex 2. They train and play at St Mary's University, Twickenham. The club formed as a result of 2007 merger between the historic Lockside RFC, formerly Lensbury RFC and Harlequin Amateurs, a modern non-professional version of their namesake. The club runs two Senior teams, a Vet's team and a mini and youth programme from Under 5s to Under 14s with the addition of a newly formed girls youth team in the 2016/17 season.
History
Harlequin Amateurs in their current guise were formed in the summer of 2007, following a friendly merger between Lockside RFC of Teddington and Harlequin Amateurs based in Roehampton. The new club is now based in Twickenham, Middlesex. Lockside began life as Lensbury RFC, the rugby club being associated with Shell Oil's social club Lensbury. In 1998 Royal Dutch Shell decided that field sports and its social club were not compatible with each other, financial support for the rugby, football, hockey and cricket clubs was subsequently removed. The rugby club rose from the ashes and was reborn as Lockside RFC. Homeless, and without a clubhouse, a relationship was formed with St Mary's University for playing pitches and along with the footballers of Weirside AFC a slightly tired clubhouse was found overlooking the famous Teddington Lock, the club soon began to grow again. However, across the river Harlequin Amateurs had been born, forming in approx 2000 as a result of the Harlequin FC going professional. The club started at the bottom and worked their way into Herts/Middlesex 1, where they regularly traded blows with Lockside! The club attracted players drawn by the allure of wearing one of the most iconic club rugby shirt in the world. Nonetheless, the club didn't progress as quickly as had been hoped and in 2006 began to struggle. A mystery phone call in spring 2007 led to a less than by chance encounter in the King's Head, Teddington. Following an evening spent drinking, eating and discussing all things rugby, but particularly the two clubs, a plan was hatched for their mutual benefit and prosperity - the clubs agreed to merge. The new club was officially formed on 1 August 2007, but retained it 87 years of Lensbury heritage and 140 years of Harlequins brand. Quins last season in the RFU leagues was the 2012/13 in Herts/Middlesex 1. They could not fulfil their fixture commitments and subsequently resigned their place to join the Middlesex Merit league division 6 for the season 2013/14. In Quins 150th year, the professional club aimed to bring together all branches of the club by allowing all teams to wear the anniversary kit from 1st XV down to minis, along with the Ladies team. In this 150th year, the 2016/17 season, the 1st XV competed in Herts/Middlesex 2, finishing in 7th position at the split in the league. In the second half of the season, an almost perfect end to the season, with the exception of a loss to Mill Hill, finished the season with plenty to look forward to for the 2017/18 season.
