During the club's early years, the team only played rugby, but due to financial problems, they then switched to association football.

Koninklijke HFC was the first Dutch Rugby club, established on 15 September 1879 by the 14-year-old Pim Mulier, who first encountered the sport in 1870.

In 1899, they moved from their original ground "De Koekamp" to the "Spanjaardslaan", where they still play their home matches to this day.

[1] Since 1923, the first team of HFC plays the opening match of a new year versus a selection of former Dutch international players on 1 January.

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply.