Kemp was born in the Isle of Wight and educated at King Edward VI School, Southampton.
[1] A back-row forward, Kemp won his solitary England cap via Blackheath, playing a 1935 Home Nations match against Wales at Twickenham.
[2] He also competed with Trojans and made a county record 51 representative appearances for Hampshire, winning championship titles in 1933 and 1936, the latter as captain.
[1][3] Kemp served as Rugby Football Union president in 1969 and 1970.
[1] He was also a long-serving Hampshire RFU administrator, as team secretary, match secretary, RFU committee representative and president.