David H. Cooke

David Cooke was born on 19 November 1955 at Oyster Point in Brisbane.[1]

Cooke came to England with his parents Harold and Mary when they repatriated in 1959 from Australia because of his father's terminal illness. As a family they then lived in Thornton Heath, Surrey and following his father's death in 1965, Cooke, his mother and younger brother Merriman moved to Purley. Cooke's mother remarried in 1973 and his stepfather John Haseldine suggested that Cooke go to boarding school. He continued his education at the age of 13 at Haileybury College in Hertfordshire.

It was at Haileybury College that Cooke first picked up a rugby ball at the age of 13. He was spotted as an outstanding talent by the Coach at Haileybury Danny Hearn an ex-England player who taught and coached from a wheelchair.[1]

Cooke had been selected to play for a combined Public Schools Team called the Nomads when scouted for the Harlequins as a 19-year-old alongside Clive Woodward and after leaving school in the summer of 1974 Cooke played his first game as the Harlequins No 8 in November against Rosslyn Park marking the England and Lions player Andy Ripley.[1]

This was the beginning of a loyal rugby career with the Harlequins finishing after 14 seasons on his retirement from the game in 1987. Cooke was dropped only once in his Harlequins career by coach All Black Earle Kirton for missing a training session to go surfing.[1]

In the first two seasons at Harlequins he fitted in playing for Indonesia in the first Hong Kong 7's in 1975 and Hong Kong Colony in 1976 against France - his first of three games against the French flanker Jean-Pierre Rives to whom he was regularly likened.[1]

Having already gained honours for England U23 and England B, Cooke joined the England squad in 1979 as understudy to Tony Neary and remained a permanent fixture until 1985. He was unlucky not to have won more caps than he did.[1]

Cooke made his international debut on 17 January 1981 at Cardiff Arms Park in the Wales vs England Five Nations match.[1] Of the 12 matches he played for his national side he was on the winning side on 6 occasions.[1]

Cooke was called off the pitch at the Harlequins' Stoop Ground in January 1985, when playing a morning match against the Army, to play for England against Romania over the road at Twickenham in the afternoon. He will probably remain the only player to ever play in two games of rugby on the same day he represented England.[1]

The selected player for the England No7 shirt that day - Gary Rees - had suspected appendicitis and Cooke was the closest No7 that the England Selectors could call up from the England hotel in Richmond 2 hours before the game. Cooke had not played in an England shirt since 1983 and he seized the opportunity given him.

Having played a huge game that day the coach Dick Greenwood selected Cooke for the England side for the rest of that season and asked him to be England vice-captain England and lead the pack of forwards through the following 5 Nations internationals and the summer tour of New Zealand where his loyalty and performances were rewarded with the captaincy of England.[1]

Cooke played his final match for England on 8 June 1985 at Athletic Park, Wellington in the New Zealand vs England 2nd Test on that tour.[1]

Being the longest serving captain of the Harlequins, Cooke also captained Middlesex (leading them to win the county Championship in 1985), London Division and the Barbarians. Always leading the game for club, county and country from the front, his forthright views on training and playing standards and his early foresight in advocating a needed change to a professional game meant that the Harlequins, following his stewardship and Captaincy of 4 seasons, won the John Player Cup in 1988, the season following his premature retirement in 1987.[1]

Cooke was inducted into the Harlequins Hall of Fame on 21 November 2006.[1]

After his rugby career Cooke threw himself into business having studied and qualified as a Chartered Surveyor whilst playing rugby. He currently runs a property consultancy practice out of Central London. Cooke also has a passion for historic motor racing and dirt biking. He started racing in the historic motor racing scene in 1998. In 2012 he set up the Desert Rats Off Road Trails Club for like minded older racers who were brought up like Cooke around motorbikes.

He has two children by his first wife Lisa. Following a very public divorce on the front-page newspapers he went on to marry second wife Karen, with whom he has two children. Cooke now lives in Oxfordshire.

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