Thomas Cook’s amateur Rugby Football Club was founded in 1910 as part of a wider sports club established by the company in 1897, with the ground at Ravensbourne in Kent. The first club president was Frank Henry Cook (1862-1940 -eldest grandson of the company founder), who had played his rugby at Mill Hill School. It ceased playing during both World Wars, and like many ‘house’ rugby clubs it no longer exists. At its most popular the club ran two XV's until it closed in 1966. During its lifetime the club played against well over 100 different clubs in London and the South East. It also established a regular Easter tour to the Netherlands in 1958 playing RC Hilversum. which helped to promote Dutch rugby during the 1960s. The original tour fixture was filmed for Dutch cinemas and television in front of crowd of over 2,600 at the AGOVV Apeldoorn stadium in Apeldoorn.
Thomas Cooks Sports Club
Established in 1897, initially known as the ‘Ludgate Circus Athletic Club’, (after the company's first London Head Office) when the existing football and swimming clubs amalgamated. The new club had four sections – football, swimming, cricket and tennis – and the playing facilities scattered across London. Despite having no ground, it proved popular and by 1902 the club was simply known as the ‘Ludgate Circus Club’. The company purchased land at Ravensbourne Kent and laid out a sports ground and erected a Pavilion. By 1905 it had become one of the finest private athletic grounds near London. By the summer of 1911 the sports club had over 600 members.
The rugby section was established in 1910 as the Ludgate Circus XV. After the First World War a new pavilion was built in 1922 opened by Thomas Cook's eldest grandson, the club's president Frank Henry Cook (1862-1931). The rugby club changed its name to Thos. Cook & Son's RFC in 1926 after the company moved to its new London Head Office in Berkeley Street Mayfair. During this time the annual summer Sports Day was held at Ravensbourne which became a popular date in the company's social calendar.
Honours Cap recipients
Probably an incomplete list, this was an established award to players for distinguished performance, discontinued after Second World War.
Ludgate Circus XV
1923–4, Copson, A., Johns, A.C., Murrell, E.D., Trend, W.G. 1925–6, Coussens, R., Higgins, E.J.K.,
Thos. Cook & Son's RFC
1927–8, Dunworth, P.R., White, P.J.,
Formal Club Dinners
It had been a long established tradition in rugby circles to hold an end of season club dinner or supper. The only club record appears in August 1926 when the Grafton Hotel Tottenham Court Road, hosted the dinner. Coussens and Higgins were awarded their honour caps. Post war this dinner became less formal and often held in a pub.
Club Ground
The club sports ground had been purchased and laid-out around 1903 and established in 1905, at Ravensbourne in Kent. A new pavilion was built in 1922. In all internal communications the 'pavilion' was referred to as the 'club-house' by the rugby section.
Location: Ravensbourne Avenue, Beckenham, Kent Telephone: RAVensbourne 6713
Resident stewards: Annie & William Dyer (1953–56), George & Gladys Gladdy (1956–75)
After the company moved its Head Office to Peterborough in 1977, the club was renamed Thomas Cook Sports and Social Club. The Ravensbourne playing fields and pavilion were purchased by the Goan Association and used as a sports facility until tragically the old Mock-Tudor clubhouse opened by the founder's grandson seventy-six years earlier, was burnt down in 1998 due to vandalism. It was then sold to Lewisham Council – now called Summerhouse Playing Fields as part of the wider Beckenham Place Park open space.
During the war years (1939-1945) the ground was requisitioned by the army and the site used for anti-aircraft guns. Nearby at Crab Hill, a Prisoner of War Camp for Italians was established known as Summerhouse Camp 233, part of the Beckenham Place Park estate.
Rugby Club Officials
First Club President
Frank Henry Cook (1862-1931) – Grandson of founder Thomas Cook (played his rugby at Mill Hill School)
Original Club officials
Ludgate Circus XV: Hon. Sec. R.G. Smithard 1911–2 season, Committee Chairman, N.M. Smith, 1925–6 season, (renamed) Thos. Cook & Sons RFC: Hon. Sec. J.G.C. Perrett Young, 1926–7 season
Original founder club players
Little archive material survives, but records show: Bayliss, Biddell, Crawley, Foster, Landsberry, were amongst the original team players for the first season 1910–1911.