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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. However, HFC switched to association football in 1883. (The Delftsche Studenten Rugby Club was the first official rugby club on 24 September 1918.)

In 1899, they moved from their original ground "De Koekamp" to the "Spanjaardslaan", where they still play their home matches to this day. In that period, the Spanjaardslaan (Spaniard's Lane), the east–west road at the southern edge of the oldest public park of the Netherlands, was part of the neighbouring town of Heemstede, but switched back to be part of Haarlem in 1927.

The Netherlands national football team have played two international matches at the Spanjaardslaan. Both matches were versus Belgium, resulting in a 1–2 loss and a 7–0 win. In the past, HFC has contributed several players to the Netherlands national football team. Of those players, goalkeeper Gejus van der Meulen obtained the most caps, 54. At present, his grandson still plays for HFC.

Before the Dutch championship was officially established, HFC won three unofficial national titles:

• 1889–1890
• 1892–1893
• 1894–1895

Three times in the club's history they have won the KNVB Cup (1904, 1913 and 1915). In the cup competition of 1903–04, HFC beat VVV from Amsterdam 25–0, which still remains a record score in the Dutch cup competition.

The club was named Koninklijk (Royal) in 1959, 80 years after the club was founded. 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.